EU to ban social media for under 13s, allow limited use for under 15s

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a proposal on Wednesday to restrict children's access to digital platforms during her annual State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg. The initiative seeks to implement a total ban on social media, online games, and chatbots for children under the age of 13.

For adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15, the proposal suggests allowing only limited, supervised access to these services. The measure is framed as a response to concerns regarding the influence and power of major technology companies.