The European Union is preparing to redefine the boundaries of the digital space to protect new generations. Ursula von der Leyen presented the guidelines developed by Special Panel on Child Safety Onlinedestined to become a bill immediately after the summer. The plan includes the absolute ban on the use of screens under three years of age and the subsequent introduction of strictly gradual access to digital platforms, permitted up to the age of thirteen only under the constant supervision of adults. The objective of this drastic measure is to remove teenagers from the control of virtual loyalty mechanisms.
The leader of the European Commission expressed Brussels’ political line extremely clearly, highlighting that “In Europe we believe that parents raise our children, not predatory algorithms“. To clear the field of any ambiguity, the president explained that Network security must be integrated into the design of the platforms at the source by technology multinationals, stating that
We don’t expect children to design their own seat belts. We don’t expect parents to install airbags at home. The same principle must apply to Big Tech.
The data emerging from the monitoring show that minors they spend between four and six hours a day onlineand almost 60% of them have experienced emotional distress, anxiety or cyberbullying.
Barriers against addiction and the European verification system
Future European legislation intends to hit the defined category hard “social media+“, which includes not only the classic social networks but all the websites they exploit infinite scrolling, autoplay and persistent notifications. To make this block effective, the European Union will make a specification available Open source age verification applicationdesigned to demonstrate possession of the minimum demographic requirements while protecting the confidentiality of users’ personal data. This solution aims to overcome the fragmentation of individual national laws already under consideration by states such as France, Spain and Denmark.
The European Commission moves with the strength of popular consensus: according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, well 63% of European citizens say they are in favor of limiting access to social media for minors on the basis of strictly established age groups. Through the regulatory instruments of Digital Services Actthe European Union has already opened preliminary investigations against giants such as Meta and TikTok for failing to adopt appropriate measures against youth addiction. Reiterating the need to remove very young people from the pervasive control of the internet, the president added that
It’s not about whether children can use social media, but whether and when social media can access our children.
We need age-appropriate restrictions on platforms.
This is not about whether children can access social media.
It is about when social media can access our children.
For a safer start online for every child ↓ https://t.co/QheuC3gFzx
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 13, 2026
