New EU Legislative Proposal to Protect Young Users Online
On September 17 at 17:21, the European Commission introduced a legislative proposal aimed at restricting social media access for children younger than 13 years old. The plan also mandates parental supervision for social media accounts of teenagers aged 13 to 15. Furthermore, it enforces tighter regulations on all users under 18 across online platforms, video-sharing services, video games, and AI-based digital companions.
Key Restrictions and Regulatory Measures
The proposal targets features that encourage addictive behaviors, banning several common elements, including:
- recommendation feeds driven by user profiling;
- infinite scrolling;
- reward systems;
- unwanted interactions with strangers.
AI chatbots and virtual companions are required to be disabled by default. Companies in the tech sector must implement reliable age verification tools for their users.
Non-compliance with these rules could result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue. Funds collected from penalties will support government oversight efforts. This initiative has also gained backing from countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, and India.
'I have unveiled a comprehensive plan to shield children from online dangers, including banning social network use for those under 13.' Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Despite broad support, major technology firms—such as Google and Meta, members of CCIA Europe—have raised privacy concerns. Their worries focus on the mass collection of sensitive data regarding users’ ages and familial connections. Additionally, there are fears that the proposal could conflict with other existing EU regulations.
This Commission initiative forms part of a wider effort to safeguard young people amid growing digital exposure and dependency. However, practical challenges remain, particularly involving data privacy and enforcement. The impact of these new rules on the European digital services market and user experience is yet to be seen, as authorities prepare to establish mechanisms for effective compliance monitoring.