Europe seeks tighter restrictions on social media platforms to protect children

Reports in Brussels that EU regulators are stepping up their campaigns against social media platforms and digital services, to counter design errors and age verification systems to protect children and minors online.

The details revealed that a special expert group, chaired by Professor Jörg M. Weigert and Dr. Maria Melchior, presented a comprehensive report in July on children's  online safety, which included actionable recommendations calling for binding commitments to digital platforms in exchange for flexible actions directed at the roles of parents and caregivers.

Discussions in member states are focused on setting a minimum age for use of social media and digital services, with countries such as France taking the step of banning smartphones in schools. The data indicated that Estonia explicitly rejects the idea of setting a uniform European minimum age for use, stressing the importance of digital culture and the strict application of existing legal frameworks such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive ( AVMSD).

 EU policymakers are discussing the introduction of an age verification app, a uniform minimum age, and new design commitments on platforms, including a ban on "infinite passing" mechanisms, the sources said. The sources explained that the European discussions seek to avoid regulatory gaps by improving existing law enforcement mechanisms rather than simply increasing legislative layers.

Technical Circumvention Challenges and Data Leak Risks

Field experiments in overseas countries such as the UK and Australia have shown that teens and minors are able to circumvent local restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPNs) or move to less regulated marginal platforms.

The European Commission reported that its age verification app came under widespread criticism after it exposed loopholes that allowed AI agents to circumvent it in minutes, raising regulatory concerns about the reliability of approved technical devices.

The regulatory reports stressed the importance of respecting data protection principles and reducing the collection of personal data in place in Europe, especially in light of the increasing risk of data leakage on digital platforms and public services. It has been estimated that the divergent approach among Member States may impede agreement on a common age threshold, with some States insisting on adopting a threshold higher than 13 years based on their national estimates and domestic legislation that they have previously adopted.

 The report of the Expert Group confirmed that the primary and primary responsibility for the safety of minors lies with the responsibility of social media and digital service providers, noting that the role of parental supervision decreases as the child grows and acquires more independence. The report added that bringing about cultural change requires incorporating regulatory measures into digital literacy programs to prevent some parents from helping their children circumvent digital laws and licenses.

Limited Parental Control and Lack of Accountability Mechanisms

Data from a survey conducted by the "EU Kids Online" network showed a decline in the rates of parents' use of parental control tools, as it was found that the percentage of practitioners of these tools did not exceed an average of 22% among European parents.

Only 12 percent were recorded in Lithuania and 14 percent in the Czech Republic, while France and Malta recorded relatively higher participation rates in the use of digital surveillance and tracking tools.

The Group of Experts reported that a flexible and soft approach to parents may not achieve the desired results without the definition of binding commitments and direct incentives to reduce excessive screen use and counter cyberbullying. The sources explained that political debates within the EU currently lack direct accountability mechanisms targeting parents and caregivers, turning many of them into bystanders who rely entirely on laws and legislation to reduce digital risks.

The report concluded by noting that European discussions on other legislation related to the digital environment, such as the Artificial Intelligence Act and initiatives to monitor digital content directed at children, are ongoing. The
sources stressed that achieving a safe digital environment requires a careful balance between the obligations imposed on technology companies and activating the role of the family in addressing the daily risks faced by minors.