EU delays national social media rules to pursue bloc-wide child protection
Proposed EU Kids Act includes restrictions for under-13s and supervised access for children under 15.
The European Commission has decided to postpone for 12 months draft national legislation that overlaps with its proposed EU-wide rules on children's access to social media, as Brussels seeks a harmonized approach to protecting minors across the bloc.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier announced the decision on Thursday, saying the move aims to ensure equal levels of protection for children in all 27 EU member states and prevent conflicting national regulations.
The proposed European Union Kids Act introduces a gradual approach to restricting children's access to social media, alongside safety-by-design obligations for online services.
"We have a very clear proposal that we have put on the table, whereby we're introducing a gradual approach and safety by design obligations for all online services," Regnier told reporters in Brussels.
He said postponing overlapping national draft laws for 12 months would help prevent different age limits and regulatory requirements from fragmenting the EU's digital market and creating additional compliance difficulties for online platforms.
"Our proposal harmonizes the rules to make sure that all children across the EU receive equal levels of protection, because a European problem requires a united European response," he said.
France and Greece cases treated differently
Asked whether the decision would affect other member states that had notified the Commission of their national initiatives, Regnier said discussions were continuing but stressed that Brussels remained opposed to regulatory fragmentation.
He pointed to France and Greece as examples of countries whose cases differ from those of Austria and other member states that submitted notifications later.
According to the spokesperson, France and Greece had notified their national legislation before the Commission presented its own proposal, meaning the relevant standstill periods had already expired.
This procedural distinction separates their initiatives from Austria's and subsequent national notifications.
EU proposes gradual restrictions for minors
Last month, the European Commission presented its proposed approach to regulating children's access to social media, including a ban for children under 13 and limited access for those under 15 under parental supervision.
The broader proposal also seeks to make online services safer for minors through mandatory safety-by-design measures.
The Commission argues that common European standards are necessary to ensure consistent protection regardless of where children live within the bloc, while avoiding a patchwork of national regulations governing digital platforms.
The proposal forms part of wider EU efforts to strengthen online child safety and establish common rules for technology companies operating across the European single market.
Source:AA
