The Canada Brief

Tech · 5 d ago

Berlaymont building, European Commission headquarters, Brussels

KenSwe72 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

EU Commission puts national social media bans for minors on hold

The Commission is imposing a 12-month standstill on national draft laws that overlap with its September proposal. Austria's draft, which would allow platforms only from age 14, is the example given.

Under 13

No access

13 to 15

Restricted

The EU proposal would allow no social media access under 13, and restricted access from 13 to 15 through parent-supervised mini accounts.

Brussels said Italy, France and Greece may go ahead, as they filed before the EU proposal. Greece plans to ban under-15s from social media from Jan 1, 2027.

What's next

EU member states and the European Parliament must still agree on the EU-wide rules, which could take months or even years.