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The 3 fault lines emerging on kids’ social media ban

October 20, 2025
in News
The 3 fault lines emerging on kids’ social media ban
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BRUSSELS — Getting kids to spend less time on social media is now a major priority for politicians across the European Union.

But countries are far from being on the same page as to what protections should look like.

EU leaders meeting this week in Brussels are expected to describe the protection of minors online as “particularly important,” according to a draft agreement obtained by POLITICO.

That’s after 25 EU countries, plus Norway and Iceland, signed a declaration earlier this month calling for stronger protections for children online and backing a digital age of majority, which would set a minimum age for kids to access social media.

The declaration sends “some very concrete vibes” to the European Commission “for them to work with and to hopefully also propose some new regulation at some point that entails the points made in this declaration,” said Danish digital minister Caroline Stage Olsen, who spearheaded the declaration on behalf of Denmark’s EU presidency.

POLITICO surveyed a host of countries to figure out what they want. The reporting showed that — despite the concrete vibes — there are still big fault lines that need to be reconciled.

1. To ban or not to ban?

EU countries are strongly divided between a full-blown ban on children’s access to social media — which France’s Emmanuel Macron has called for — and requiring parents to consent for their kids to get onto sites.

Alongside France, Slovak minister Radoslav Štefánek said in an interview that his country prefers “clear age restrictions” rather than consent-based ones because parents are already not using the consent tools they have available. Slovakia’s position is still under review, however, he noted.

Norway is working to set a hard limit for using social media at 15 and above, and its digital minister, Karianne Oldernes Tung, encouraged EU countries to do the same at a gathering of digital ministers in Horsens, Denmark, this month.

But many countries, including Greece, the Netherlands and Spain, interpret a digital age of majority to mean that minors below that age will be able to sign up on social media with the consent of their parents.

“We think it’s the responsibility of the parents to guide their children,” with the state providing guidelines, said Dutch digital minister Eddie van Marum.

Below 15, “platforms should be required to obtain verified parental consent for access,” Greece’s digital minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, told POLITICO.

2. Who decides — Brussels or capitals?

The Commission said over the summer that it wouldn’t consider an EU-wide social media ban, nor would it attempt to set an age of majority across the bloc. But Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warmed up to both of these scenarios in recent weeks.

Most EU countries want the freedom to set their own age limits. Not only would that be the legal status quo — experts have pointed out the EU can coordinate rules but cannot harmonize them, as is the case for tobacco and alcohol — but capitals also say it is necessary to account for cultural differences. Germany, Denmark and Greece are very much in this camp.

Latvia’s Gatis Ozols, deputy minister for digital transformation, touted a “hybrid approach” with a “minimum level set horizontally across Europe” and countries picking a lower age if they want. That’s similar to how the General Data Protection Regulation sets rules on collecting data from minors — the age for kids to consent to data processing is 16 by default, but countries can choose to lower it to 13.

But setting different ages might prove difficult to implement, for example, if teens are traveling between countries.

3. What’s the right age?

There’s a hot debate on what the right minimum age should be, with 15 or 16 being the main contenders.

Denmark, France and Greece are in the 15 and above camp. Denmark is moving ahead, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announcing plans this month to demand parental controls for social media platforms for children under 15.

Spain supports a digital age of majority at 16, which Slovakia has also previously expressed support for. Australia — one of the few countries worldwide to take action — also set the minimum age at 16.

Many countries have yet to make up their minds. In September, Germany set up an expert commission to determine the best way forward.

Two countries declined to sign the widely supported declaration — Estonia and Belgium. Tallinn said it is in favor of enforcing existing rules, such as the GDPR, rather than new restrictions — and investing in education.

“Estonia believes in an information society and including young people in the information society,” said Estonia’s minister of justice and digital affairs, Liisa-Ly Pakosta.

Belgium is struggling with regional differences, with the Flemish region vetoing the declaration. Belgian minister Vanessa Matz said there is still “determination to advance this fight for a safer internet.”

The post The 3 fault lines emerging on kids’ social media ban appeared first on Politico.

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