European countries are accelerating efforts to restrict children’s access to social media, citing growing evidence that excessive online exposure harms mental health and cognitive development. The push has gained momentum after France advanced legislation to ban social media use for children under 15, and Spain signaled it would follow with a ban for those under 16.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said children must be protected from what he described as the “digital Wild West,” warning that platforms expose minors to addiction, abuse, and manipulation. France’s proposal now heads to the upper house of parliament, while similar measures are being discussed or drafted in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
At the EU level, Ursula von der Leyen has expressed support for a bloc-wide minimum digital age, potentially aligned with Australia’s under-16 restriction. In November, the European Parliament recommended an EU-wide ban for children under 16, with limited access for 13- to 16-year-olds under parental consent.
Experts broadly agree that minors face heightened risks online but question how such bans would work in practice. One proposal under discussion is an EU-wide digital ID system that could verify age without revealing personal data. Critics, however, warn that age-verification tools raise privacy concerns and could be easily circumvented.
Some digital rights advocates argue that age bans are largely symbolic and fail to address deeper structural problems, such as addictive design features like autoplay and infinite scrolling. They also note that online addiction does not suddenly disappear at age 15 or 16.
The debate has highlighted frustration with the EU’s flagship Digital Services Act, which requires large platforms to mitigate risks to minors and adjust algorithms. Critics say enforcement has been slow and ineffective, prompting national governments to act on their own.
The issue has also sparked political backlash. Tech billionaire Elon Musk recently attacked Sánchez over Spain’s plans, accusing European leaders reminding that the debate over children’s safety online is now colliding with broader arguments about regulation, free speech, and Big Tech’s power in Europe.
