Across Europe, a growing consensus is emerging that children should be kept off social media until they are older. Several EU member states are now pushing for a ban on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for users under the age of 15, while the European Commission works on a continent-wide age verification tool to enforce such restrictions.
The push comes amid mounting evidence linking early social media use to anxiety, depression, and poor sleep among teenagers. France has already passed a law requiring parental consent for under-15s to open accounts, and Germany is considering similar measures. Now, a coalition of countries including Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands is calling for an EU-wide minimum age of 15, matching the age at which children can consent to data processing under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Brussels Develops Age Verification App
To make such a ban enforceable, the European Commission is developing a digital identity wallet that would allow users to prove their age without revealing other personal information. The app, part of the broader eIDAS framework, would let platforms verify a user's age by checking against a government-issued ID stored on the user's phone. Critics worry about privacy and the risk of creating a centralised database of minors, but the Commission insists the system will be decentralised and privacy-preserving.
“We need to move from a situation where platforms simply ask users to tick a box saying they are over 13, to one where they actually verify age in a secure and private way,” said a Commission official involved in the project. The tool is expected to be piloted in several member states later this year.
The debate is not just about age limits. A recent Harvard study found that the fine print in social media terms of service systematically erodes user rights, particularly for minors who cannot meaningfully consent to complex data-sharing agreements. The study, which analysed the policies of major platforms, concluded that most terms are designed to maximise data collection and minimise legal liability, often at the expense of vulnerable users.
National Approaches Diverge
While the EU moves toward a harmonised approach, national governments are not waiting. Several EU nations have already enacted their own social media bans for younger children, creating a patchwork of rules that platforms must navigate. France's law, passed in 2023, requires platforms to obtain parental consent for under-15s or face fines of up to 1% of global revenue. Germany's proposed law would go further, banning targeted advertising to minors entirely.
In the UK, which left the EU in 2020, the Online Safety Act gives regulator Ofcom the power to fine platforms that fail to protect children from harmful content. The UK government has also indicated it may introduce age verification requirements for social media, though it has not yet set a specific age limit. Norway and Sweden are also debating similar measures, reflecting a broader Nordic concern for child welfare online.
The push for age limits has drawn criticism from digital rights groups, who argue that blanket bans are ineffective and could drive children to less regulated corners of the internet. “Age verification is a blunt instrument,” said a spokesperson for EDRi, a European digital rights network. “It risks creating a surveillance infrastructure that could be used for other purposes, and it doesn't address the underlying design of platforms that make them addictive.”
Others point out that enforcement is nearly impossible without a reliable digital ID system, which many European countries lack. The EU's digital identity wallet could solve that problem, but it will take years to roll out across all member states. In the meantime, platforms continue to rely on self-reported ages, which children routinely circumvent.
The debate also intersects with broader concerns about the impact of social media on democracy and public discourse. In the Czech Republic, students have rallied against government plans to defund public media, arguing that independent journalism is essential to counter misinformation on social platforms. The protests highlight the tension between regulating harmful content and protecting free expression.
As European policymakers grapple with these questions, one thing is clear: the era of letting tech companies self-regulate when it comes to children is coming to an end. Whether through age limits, verification tools, or design requirements, Europe is moving toward a more interventionist approach to social media—and children are at the centre of that shift.
