EU urges 12-month delay to national child social media laws

The European Commission is calling for a 12-month pause on national legislation overlapping with planned EU-wide rules to protect children on social media, as several member states pursue their own restrictions.

Report's European bureau informs that the Commission believes differing national restrictions could fragment the EU's single market.

"The European internal market cannot afford fragmentation," Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

He warned that differing age limits and requirements across member states would create an almost unmanageable situation for platforms.

"Platforms will not be able to adapt to such a fragmented market, and ultimately we will all be left without any protection. That is why we are putting forward a harmonized proposal to protect all children," he said.

Austria is the latest country to receive Brussels' assessment, with the Commission requesting a 12-month delay in implementing its national law to allow the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to agree on common rules.

France, Greece, Italy, Belgium and Slovenia have previously pursued similar national initiatives, although their legal situations differ. Regnier declined to detail the Commission's legal assessments of individual bills, saying discussions with the governments were continuing.

The proposed EU Kids Act, presented on September 17, would prohibit social media accounts for children under 13, allow restricted accounts with parental controls for those aged 13–14, and permit users to create accounts independently from age 15. It would also strengthen digital service safety requirements and protections for minors.

The proposal still requires agreement between the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission is urging faster negotiations, stressing that children must remain protected in the meantime through enforcement of existing legislation, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks to users.