EU Delays National Social Media Bans for Children Ahead of New Law

BRUSSELS: The European Union announced on Thursday that it will halt any national-level bans on social media for children until a comprehensive pan-European law is established. This decision comes as the EU blocked draft regulations proposed by Austria aimed at prohibiting children under 14 from accessing social media platforms.

EU spokesman Thomas Regnier stated, “The commission has decided to postpone for 12 months any draft national laws overlapping with the future harmonised rules.” This move underscores the EU’s commitment to creating a unified legal framework across member states, preventing discrepancies in age restrictions that could arise from individual national laws.

The European Commission had previously proposed legislation to restrict social media access for children under 13, allowing only limited and supervised use until the age of 15. The EU believes that permitting member states to enact their own laws could lead to fragmentation within the bloc, complicating enforcement and compliance with a unified policy.

Looking ahead, the EU aims to focus on negotiations surrounding the EU Kids Act, which is intended to establish clear and enforceable rules regarding children’s online safety. Regnier emphasized the importance of effective enforcement of these forthcoming regulations to protect young users.