EU chef Ursula von der Leyen threw her support behind growing calls on Wednesday to ban the use of social media for children, and promised to weigh action at European level in the coming months.
“Many member states are of the opinion that the time has come for a ‘digital majority of majority’ for access to social media,” the head of the European Commission told an event on the sidelines of the UN general meeting.
“I have to tell you as a mother of seven children and grandmother of five, I share their opinion,” she told the New York meeting.
Von der Leyen, together with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Anthony, whose country is at the forefront of global efforts to curb internet damage-with his social media ban on under 16 years of age a world-firstest.
“We all agree that young people have to reach a certain age before they smoke, drink or have access to content for adults,” she said. “The same can be said for social media.”
Von der Leyen said that she would set up a panel of experts and talk to parents, teachers and young people “to assess what steps are useful” at EU level.
The 27-country block has some of the world’s strictest rules to combat harmful content online, with various studies into how the largest social media platforms do not protect children or.
France, Greece and Spain belong to various EU states that insist on restrictions on the access of minors to online platforms.
Earlier this year they suggested putting an era of digital maturity in the block, but Brussels initially seemed lukewarm.
The von der Leyen committee said at the time that such a step would be that each Member State would decide, instead of being imposed by the executive arm of the trade union.
Social media companies, including Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, have expressed concern about the law of Australia.
French
Denmark, which has the six-month rotary EU presidency, has made the issue a priority and promised to push the block to do more.
France has also brought the issue to the top of the agenda, after he has already adopted a law of 2023 that requires permission from the parents for users of social media under the age of 15, higher than the 13-year-old limit established by the platforms itself.
French legislators have continued in the call for a “digital evening clock” for older minors, for example between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 15 to 18 year olds.
They have focused primarily on worries about ticktok property of the China-based bytedance-inclusive content that encourages self-damage.
France is also one of the five EU countries that test an app aimed at preventing children who have access to harmful content online by checking the age of users.
Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain will adjust a prototype of an age-verification app to launch national versions within a few months.
