Brussels is doubling down on platform regulation to protect minors online, but the strategy risks falling short by placing the entire burden on tech companies while leaving parents largely off the hook. A recent expert report, led by Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Fegert and Dr. Maria Melchior, offers a balanced assessment of the challenges, yet its recommendations tilt heavily toward new obligations for social media and digital services, with only soft measures for parental involvement.
Regulatory Overload, Enforcement Gaps
The EU already has a dense web of laws meant to shield children online: the Digital Services Act (DSA) targets harmful design features, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) safeguards children’s data, and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) covers video-sharing platforms. Add to that the Artificial Intelligence Act, consumer protection directives, and the controversial Chat Control proposals, and the legislative landscape becomes a maze. Yet the current debate, much like earlier consumer protection efforts, focuses on piling on new rules rather than enforcing existing ones.
France has banned smartphones in schools, and several member states are considering minimum ages for social media use, ranging from 13 to 16. Estonia, however, openly rejects an EU-wide age limit, arguing for stronger digital literacy among minors, teachers, and parents, alongside better enforcement of the DSA. This fragmentation complicates any unified approach.
Bypassable Tech and Privacy Risks
The EU’s own age-verification app, unveiled earlier this year, drew immediate criticism after AI agents bypassed it “within minutes.” Meanwhile, experiences from the UK and Australia show that teenagers easily circumvent restrictions using VPNs or migrating to fringe platforms. EU policymakers now face the challenge of preventing a similar exodus in Europe, but the technical hurdles are steep. Any age-verification system must also respect European data minimization principles, especially amid rising data leaks across both private platforms and public services.
The expert panel recommends focusing on restricting access for minors under 13, but acknowledges that “countries may prefer to adopt a higher threshold.” This leaves the door open for continued divergence among member states, undermining the goal of a harmonized EU-wide standard.
Parents: Enablers or Guardians?
The report states that “social media and other digital services providers retain primary responsibility for keeping minors safe,” relegating parents to a secondary role. While it is true that parental supervision diminishes as children grow more autonomous, many parents lack the time, digital literacy, or tools to effectively guide their children online. Some even enable rule-bypassing by granting unrestricted access.
Without a cultural shift that combines regulation with stronger parental accountability, the EU’s vision for child safety online may remain incomplete. As Ursula von der Leyen has backed age-based restrictions, the Commission must now decide whether to push for a uniform minimum age or allow member states to chart their own course. The risk is that a fragmented patchwork of national laws, coupled with easily bypassed technology, will leave Europe’s children no safer than before.
Meanwhile, the broader economic context adds pressure: the IMF has trimmed growth forecasts for France and Germany, making it harder for governments to invest in digital literacy programs. The challenge is not just regulatory but also financial and cultural.
