EU plans age limit for social media: use only from age 13

In her State of the Union address on Wednesday in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an age limit for the use of social media. Children under the age of 13 will be excluded from social networks, and additional restrictions for teenagers under 15 will regulate access to user accounts.

Von der Leyen emphasized the necessity of this step, as parents are increasingly observing the negative effects of smartphone use on their children. These effects include sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even self-harm. The EU aims to tackle these challenges with the new regulations.

The concrete legislative proposal, known as the "KIDS ACT", is set to be presented on Thursday. This is seen as part of a broader approach to regulating digital content and protecting youth in the EU.

According to reports, the proposal indicates that access to social media in EU member states will be uniformly regulated. This could have far-reaching implications for many large online platforms that currently do not conduct age verification.

Some EU lawmakers have already expressed their views on the announced measures. Austria’s Secretary of State for Digitalization, Gernot Blümel, noted that there could be a significant delay before national regulations come into effect. This raises the question of whether national measures should be implemented before the EU-wide age limit is enforced.

Von der Leyen's plans aim to protect children and teenagers from addictive algorithms and content. An in-depth discussion about measures for digital child safety is expected in Germany and other member states in the coming weeks and months.