The European Union is preparing tough measures to protect young generations from the harmful effects of digital platforms. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented to the public a report prepared by a special expert panel on children's online safety.
The report recommends introducing a harmonized social media age limit across the European Union for children under 13. Von der Leyen said, "The two co-chairs propose an EU-wide harmonized social media age limit for children under 13. The proposed approach is a gradual model. According to this, the youngest children should not use screens at all."
Details of the gradual model
According to the model proposed by the expert panel, children from birth to age 3 should not encounter screens at all. Children aged 3 to 12 may only be online under the supervision of a parent, caregiver or teacher and for a limited time. Access to social media for young people aged 13-18 may be gradually increased, provided that platforms prove they are "safe by design."
"Social media is not a toy"
Von der Leyen stressed that big tech companies offering unlimited access condemns new generations to psychological harm, addiction and unhappiness. "In Europe, young people now spend 4 to 6 hours a day in front of screens. This corresponds to about 20 years of their lives," von der Leyen said, adding that around 60 percent of children encounter emotional or psychosocial problems online.
The European Commission President said, "We cannot expect children to thrive in a system designed without considering their well-being. First, it is the platforms that built these systems, and now they must prove that their services do no harm. In Europe, whoever develops a product is also responsible for its safety."
Legislative proposal after summer
Von der Leyen announced that they will carefully examine the report's recommendations and present a legislative proposal after the summer. "We will evaluate the different proposals from member states, integrate them into our work, and, as the EU often does, put forward a common and harmonized solution proposal," she said.
Experts' common view
Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Fegert, one of the co-chairs of the expert panel, said, "Introducing a common age limit across the EU for children under 13 is one of our key recommendations." The other co-chair, Dr. Maria Melchior, said, "Our findings are very clear: Children and young people must be safe on all social media platforms and other digital services they use."
