Europe Moves to Ban Social Media for Children, Following Alarming New Report

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The European Union is taking its strongest step yet toward restricting children’s access to social media, after a commissioned expert report revealed that kids across the bloc spend up to six hours per day on platforms like TikTok and Instagram — with nearly 60 percent showing signs of mental health damage.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the initiative at a press conference on Monday, vowing to introduce legislation that could fundamentally reshape how young people interact with digital platforms. “It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms,” von der Leyen said. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”

European leaders are moving toward strict age-based restrictions on social media access for minors. (Image: Rainer_Maiores / Pixabay)

The Evidence Behind the Move

The push follows a newly published report authored by child psychologist Dr. Jörg M. Fegert and epidemiologist Dr. Maria Melchior, whose findings paint a troubling picture of the digital lives of European children. According to their research, children across the EU now spend between four and six hours daily on social media platforms. Nearly 60 percent of those children had experienced “socio-emotional development and susceptibility to mental health issues” leading to sleep and concentration problems, and increased rates of depression and anxiety.

The report makes a series of sweeping recommendations for the bloc. It calls for a complete ban on social media access for children under 13 unless a parent or teacher is actively supervising. For teens between 13 and 18, the report recommends access only to platforms that implement robust safety features, including limits on infinite scrolling and algorithmic content amplification. It further advises that toddlers under the age of three should have no screen access at all.

Following Australia’s Lead

Europe’s move echoes a growing global trend toward age-based social media restrictions. Australia became the first country to bar children under 16 from social media platforms, a law that took effect earlier this year. The Australian government recently announced it would double the maximum penalty for companies violating the law to 99 million Australian dollars (approximately $68 million USD), applying serious financial pressure to platforms that fail to comply.

Several other nations are pursuing similar measures. France, Germany, and Spain have all launched investigations or preliminary legislative efforts. In the United States, Florida implemented a ban in 2024 on social media use for children under 14 without parental approval.

Critics of these bans argue that children can easily circumvent restrictions by lying about their age or creating fake accounts. However, proponents counter that putting the burden of age verification on platforms — rather than on parents or children — creates meaningful accountability for tech companies that have long profited from young users’ attention.

The Road Ahead

If Europe carries through with a new law, it would be by far the largest effort to restrict children’s social media use anywhere in the world. The EU is home to roughly 450 million people, of whom about 81 million are under the age of 18. However, any such legislation would require negotiation and buy-in from all 27 member states, a process that could take months or years.

Von der Leyen acknowledged the challenge but framed it as an urgent necessity. “The more we learn, and the more we see the impact on our children, the stronger the argument becomes for a social media start date,” she said. The EU Commission will now review the report and its recommendations, with a formal proposal expected “after the summer.”

Eu on Know the Tech

Europe Moves to Ban Social Media for Children, Following Alarming New Report

The Evidence Behind the Move

Following Australia’s Lead

The Road Ahead