The European Union is preparing new legislation to protect children from addictive social media features used by platforms such as TikTok, Meta Platforms and X, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking in Copenhagen on Tuesday, von der Leyen warned that children are increasingly exposed to harmful online experiences including sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, cyberbullying, grooming and exploitation.
‘These risks are the reality of the digital world,’ she said. ‘They are not accidental. They are the result of business models that treat our children’s attention as a commodity.’
Von der Leyen said the European Commission’s upcoming Digital Fairness Act, expected to be proposed later this year, will specifically target ‘addictive and harmful design practices’ used by major online platforms.
The planned legislation would also impose stricter limits on the use of artificial intelligence in social media environments. Von der Leyen additionally voiced support for introducing a minimum age requirement for access to social media platforms.
‘The question is not whether young people should have access to social media,’ she said. ‘The question is whether social media should have access to young people.’
According to von der Leyen, the Digital Fairness Act will expand upon the existing Digital Services Act, which already obliges large online platforms to take stronger action against illegal and harmful content.
The European Commission is currently investigating TikTok, X and Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook under those rules.
Von der Leyen said the Commission is examining TikTok over features such as endless scrolling, autoplay and push notifications, which regulators believe may encourage addictive behaviour among younger users.
She also accused Instagram and Facebook of failing to properly enforce their own minimum user age of 13.
In addition, the Commission has launched proceedings against X concerning the use of its Grok artificial intelligence tool in generating sexualized images involving women and children.
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