EU considers new social media age restrictions for minors

The European Union is considering new legislation that could introduce a minimum age requirement for access to social media platforms, following remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a conference in Copenhagen. The proposal, described as a possible “social media delay,” forms part of a broader effort to strengthen protections for children in the digital environment.

Speaking on the issue of online safety, von der Leyen argued that policymakers should focus not only on whether young people should access social media, but also on whether social media platforms should have access to young people. She linked concerns over youth mental health, cyberbullying, anxiety, sleep deprivation and exposure to harmful online content to the design and business models of major digital platforms. According to the Commission President, an expert panel is expected to deliver recommendations by July 2026 on additional measures to protect minors online. Based on those findings, the European Commission could present a legislative proposal during the summer. While no specific age threshold has yet been proposed by the Commission, discussions across Europe have increasingly focused on restrictions for users under 15 or 16 years of age.

The debate comes amid growing international efforts to regulate children’s access to social media. Several European governments have advocated stricter age limits, while Australia has already introduced legislation restricting access for younger users. At the EU level, the discussion complements existing regulatory initiatives under the Digital Services Act and ongoing work on age-verification tools designed to prevent minors from accessing age-sensitive online services. Although the Commission has not yet tabled a formal legislative proposal, von der Leyen’s remarks signal that age-based access restrictions have moved closer to the center of the EU’s digital policy agenda. Any future measure would likely form part of the EU’s wider strategy to improve online safety for children and adolescents.