Vice‑President Henna Virkkunen, who heads the EU’s digital policy, said that the Commission will reach a decision by summer on whether to ban social‑media access for children across the European Union. “I would prefer a pan‑European solution” she told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. “We are currently collecting data, consulting experts and analysing studies”. Only once that process is complete will the Commission move forward, she added, stressing that no pre‑decision has been made.
Virkkunen warned that social media also serves as an important source of information for young people. “The challenge is establishing the right age threshold after which use is no longer problematic” she explained. “Is it 13, 14 or 16?” Over the past few months, several EU member states have begun to follow Australia’s example, which imposed a ban on users under 16. Spain and France have already enacted measures, Austria plans a similar restriction, and Germany is still debating the proposal.