EU chief pledges social media ban for children after expert panel report

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged an EU-wide social media ban for children, promising a draft law in the autumn.

• An expert panel co-chaired by Jörg Fegert and Maria Melchior called for an EU-wide delay to “social media plus” services for children under 13.
• Von der Leyen said the issue is not whether children can access social media, but whether and when social media can access children.
• At least 10 EU countries have announced plans for social media bans for children, including France (under-15), Spain (under-16), and Greece (under-15 from January 2027).
• The European Commission has concluded preliminary indictments against Meta and TikTok for addictive design, which both companies rejected.