Plans of the EU Commission: Social media only for ages 13 and up

The EU Commission wants to restrict access to social media platforms for children under 13 within the EU. “No social networks under the age of 13. No own user account under the age of 15,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a speech on Wednesday.

What was supposed to be in the EU Commission's draft bill called the "Kids Act" was already leaked on Tuesday: In addition to the age limit of 13 years, there should be restricted accounts for 13 to 15 year olds, the use of which should be supervised by parents. For these accounts, the platforms should be required to have a “secure design,” says von der Leyen. She didn't explain what that meant in detail. It can be assumed that the platform is allowed to rely less or not at all on problematic mechanisms such as addictive algorithms and manipulative designs.

With her proposal, the EU Commission President hardly goes beyond the existing situation. A number of platforms already specify a minimum age of 13, but do not consistently enforce this. Anyone who states an earlier year of birth or an older age is usually granted access. There are also accounts with parental supervision for young users, for example on Instagram.

Nevertheless, a legal age limit would have a major impact: all users would have to prove their age to the platforms.

“With the EU ‘Kids Act’, Commission President von der Leyen is presenting a complex regulatory proposal that will deeply affect everyone’s fundamental rights,” criticizes Svea Windwehr, an expert at the internet policy association D64. There is currently no technology that can reliably detect age without endangering the participation, privacy and security of millions of people. “What would help young people would be consistent enforcement of current law and a rejection of Big Tech from making money with their data – and non-invasive age checks for everyone.”

The Eudi wallet, the EU-wide digital wallet in which ID cards and driving licenses can be stored digitally, is usually mentioned as a suitable application. The app is scheduled to launch in Germany on January 2nd. However, not all young people aged 13 and over have an ID card - in Germany it is mandatory from the age of 16. It is also unclear how reliably the verification platforms actually only retrieve age and not other personal data.

However, it may still be a while before von der Leyen's plans become a law. The corresponding draft law is to be presented with more details on Thursday. Then it is the turn of the EU Parliament and the EU member states. So it could still take months or years.