While stopping short of an outright ban, the EC’s independent panel would place the burden of proof on social media platforms to prove they are safe for children to use
The report focuses on “social media+”, including other digital services that may pose risks to children
On 13 July 2026, an independent “special panel” established by Ursula von der Leyen (President, EC) published its final report on child online safety, outlining recommendations for protections for children using social media. In announcing the report, von der Leyen highlighted the need for a minimum “start date,” which would involve restricting minors’ use of social media until they reach a certain age. She also stated that providers are responsible for the safety of their platforms and must “prove that their services do no harm”. However, the report does not advocate a strict age-based ban, but suggests that social media companies should face a “burden of proof” to demonstrate that their platforms are safe for children to use. If they cannot prove this, the panel suggests the platform should be restricted for minors. The report’s scope covers “social media+”, which includes other digital services that may be available to minors and expose them to risks, such as AI companions and video games. Von der Leyen is expected to announce social media restrictions in September 2026, and while it is likely that this report will influence any forthcoming measures, this is not certain.
The panel has stopped short of recommending a complete social media ban throughout the bloc
The report recommends graduated protections for minors based on a developmental approach, meaning restrictions for 8-year-olds would be different from those for 16-year-olds, for example. Within this approach, the panel highlights three overarching stages:
0-2 years: No screen use and complete parental control;
3-12 years: All screen use should occur alongside parental or educational supervision; and
13-18 years: Evolving autonomous screen use alongside guidance and conversation.
Although the panel recommends EU-wide social media access restrictions for under-13s, it does not propose a complete ban as children would be able to use these sites with parental consent or for educational purposes – thereby stopping short of the approach taken by countries such as Australia, which was the first to introduce an outright ban for under-16s. It also advocates supervised use of social media and video games, with parental control systems and time-limited use of age-appropriate content. Between the ages of 13 and 18, the panel recommends increasing independent use of social media and reducing parental control, with the potential for national age-based bans to be introduced, but not at the EU level.
The panel advocates harmonised rules on safety features in the design of social media and other digital services
The panel notes that addictive features, dark patterns, unsolicited contact and rabbit holes are key problems with the design of many social media platforms. As a result, it recommends that clear safety-by-design and age-appropriate safeguards should be embedded into these platforms, such as limits on infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications and personalised recommendation systems. The panel notes that harmonising rules on safety features across the EU would ensure certainty and uniformity across the social media environment, and that rules on safety features should be adaptable to address new harmful design features that may arise. The EC is also attempting to tackle addictive design features through enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA). On 10 July 2026, it found Meta to be preliminarily in breach of the DSA for the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook, focusing on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and personalised recommendation systems (the same problematic features highlighted in the panel’s report). The investigation also provisionally found that Meta did not adequately assess the risks of addictive design on the wellbeing of its users, including minors and vulnerable adults. If the EC’s views are ultimately confirmed, it may issue a non-compliance decision and a fine of up to 6% of Meta’s total worldwide turnover.
