EU may announce social media ban for kids in September

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce proposals for an EU-wide social media ban for children during her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg on September 16, multiple EU officials and diplomats told Euractiv, Report informs.

The move would mark Brussels' clearest political commitment yet to introducing bloc-wide age restrictions on social media after months of pressure from national governments to better protect children online.

A Commission official cautioned that the legal framework has yet to be decided. Still, the initiative is expected to pave the way for EU legislation or other regulatory measures requiring platforms to prevent children below a minimum age from holding accounts.

One representative from a national capital said Commission officials had already informed governments to expect an announcement in September, reinforcing expectations that von der Leyen will use her annual policy speech to unveil the initiative.

It remains unclear what minimum age the Commission would propose or how any restrictions would work in practice. National governments have floated different options, from mandatory parental consent to outright restrictions backed by age verification technology.

An EU official familiar with von der Leyen's thinking said an announcement "could come" during the speech, but cautioned that an expert panel advising the Commission has yet to publish its recommendations.

The advisory group, established by von der Leyen to examine how children should be protected online, is expected to report on July 13. Until then, "the political steer and exact next steps cannot be predicted," the official said.

Momentum has accelerated as EU governments pursue their own restrictions on children's access to social media. France, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Greece have all pressed ahead with national measures.

Several countries outside the bloc have gone further. Australia passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act in 2024, a world-first law requiring major social media platforms to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. It took effect in December 2025. Von der Leyen has repeatedly cited the legislation as a model for protecting children online.