The limits of social media are coming to young people across Europe

The European Union is measure sweeping new restrictions to prevent children and young people from using social media, including age limits, outright bans, and phase-outs. Social media may also be forced to prove that their services are not harmful to young people before they are allowed to use them.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc’s leaders could introduce new rules in a few months, after reviewing the recommendations of a group of experts released today. “This is not about whether children can use social media. It is about when social media can find our children,” said von der Leyen.

The group recommended using a more gradual approach, including “no screening at all” for children under 3, monitoring Internet use for those under 13, and limits for young adults. It also said that social media sites must ensure that their services are safe for young users, an approach that von der Leyen said it supports.

Von der Leyen said the Commission would consider the report and come back with recommendations “after the summer.” Any legislation would still need to be approved by the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states before it becomes law in the bloc. The legal proposal would add significant attention to international efforts to ban children’s use of television, joining a growing list of proposals or laws being implemented in countries including UK and Australia.

The new rules will also put more pressure on platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe for young users. A preliminary investigation The EU has already found that Meta is in breach of its Digital Services Act last week due to the “disruptive” design of Facebook and Instagram. A similar finding was also made given against TikTok earlier this year.