The European Union is moving to ban social media for under 13s and impose restrictions on the digital technology for older children, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday.
The move to develop EU-wide rules comes after several individual EU member states have introduced social media limits on teenagers amid a global push to restrict children’s access to social media. Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under 16s in December 2025.
“No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15,” Von der Leyen said during her state of the union address in Strasbourg, France.
The EU would allow 13- and 14-year olds to have “mini accounts” with parental supervision and limited features, she added. The use of such accounts would be capped at one hour per day.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, would on Thursday propose a new Kids Act, Von der Leyen said. Under the act, the bloc would reverse the burden of proof, such that social media platforms would have to prove that they are safe for minors.
“I am aware that many perceive the power of big tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree,” Von der Leyen said. “Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not Big Tech.”
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