New Facts: Commission proposes common social media age limits

On July 13, 2026, in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will move to set common age limits for children’s access to social media across the 27-member bloc.

Von der Leyen described the plan as a “social media start date for minors,” and said the Commission would propose an EU-wide minimum age for access.

Beyond age limits, the Commission’s package will include safety-by-design rules targeting addictive platform features to protect minors online.

The move comes as the European Commission sought and received expert assessments on children’s social media use to inform policy options, according to tech-focused outlets covering the process.

Outlets diverged on scope and specifics: the New York Times framed it as a step toward a possible ban on children’s social media use, while Le Monde said Brussels favors phased, age-appropriate access rather than an outright ban; Novinite cited a focus on under-13s, whereas Reuters and the Financial Times did not specify an age.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources