European Commission prepares new EU child safety legislation
Social media safety becomes a European Commission priority following expert recommendations.
The European Commission has received the report of its Special Panel on Child Safety Online, with President Ursula von der Leyen confirming that legislative proposals to strengthen children’s online protection will be presented after the summer.
Von der Leyen described the report as an important evidence base for future policymaking and said its recommendations would inform the Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposals.
The Commission highlighted growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health and wellbeing, pointing to excessive screen time, addictive platform design, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content as key risks facing young users.
According to the Commission, online platforms should be responsible for ensuring their services are safe by design, just as manufacturers are responsible for the safety of physical products.
The Commission also stressed the need for stronger age-appropriate protections, highlighting the forthcoming EU age verification application as a privacy-preserving tool that could give parents greater control over children’s access to online services.
Von der Leyen also said Europe should consider introducing a minimum age for access to social media and other digital services with addictive or age-inappropriate features, describing any future approach as gradual and guided by scientific evidence.
The Commission will now examine the panel’s recommendations alongside input from parents, educators, researchers, young people, member states and international partners before preparing legislative proposals aimed at strengthening children’s rights and safety online.
Why does it matter?
The Commission’s announcement signals that child online safety is moving higher up the EU’s digital policy agenda. Beyond enforcing existing rules under the Digital Services Act and AI Act, Brussels is now considering additional legislation that could introduce stronger platform obligations, age verification measures and possible minimum-age requirements for certain online services.
If adopted, these proposals could significantly reshape how platforms design and deliver services for younger users, reinforcing a broader regulatory shift towards safety by design and greater platform accountability across the European Union.
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