EU Chief Pledges Social Media Curbs for Children, but Australia Study Shows Age Checks Can Be Bypassed

Ursula von der Leyen pledged earlier this week to curb social media access for children after an EU-appointed expert group recommended restrictions for users under 13. Von der Leyen stated that allowing big tech unrestricted access to children would consign another generation to mental harm, addiction and misery. She endorsed the expert panel's staged approach to internet use.

The European Commission has not set a minimum age for social media access. A draft proposal on the restrictions is expected in autumn 2026. The expert group published a 156-page report that calls for a safe-by-design requirement forcing platforms to prove products are safe for young users.

It also recommends extending limits to platforms with similar features, such as video games and AI chatbots. The panel consisted of doctors, academics, youth representatives and parents. Euronews reported that Australia already bans users under 16 from social media, though a recent study found young people could easily bypass the rules through weak age-verification checks.

Sara Brandstätter, tech reporter at MLex, said the question of how age will be checked under any restriction will definitely come up after the summer in September.