European experts are calling for restrictions on social media for children under 13.

A group of experts commissioned by the European Commission presented a report in Brussels on Monday recommending that children under 13 be banned from having any independent access to social media. Ursula von der Leyen subsequently announced legislative proposals for the start of the new academic year.

Children under 13 should only access social media under adult supervision or within a school setting. This is the central recommendation of a report submitted Monday in Brussels by a panel of doctors, academics, youth representatives, and parents, tasked with advising the European Union on the protection of minors online.

The report goes further for younger children: babies and toddlers should be kept away from all screens, while children aged 3 to 12 should only access age-appropriate platforms, under supervision. For teenagers aged 13 to 18, experts recommend a "gradually independent" use of social media and other digital platforms, provided that these platforms incorporate "essential safety features."

Present at the report's launch, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had commissioned the study, argued for age-appropriate restrictions implemented in a gradual and progressive manner. "Our children need time in the real world. Time to play, to make friends, to make mistakes. Time to shape their own identity, their own personality, before an algorithm does it for them," she told reporters. She added, "The question is not whether children can access social media. The question is whether and when social media can access our children."

Von der Leyen announced that the European Commission would present legislative proposals on the use of social media by minors after the summer. Several member states, including Germany, are already considering introducing age limits, but action at the European level appears necessary to guarantee the effectiveness and legal compatibility of these measures, as the EU has jurisdiction to regulate major online platforms.

The Commission President cited Australia as a possible model. At the end of 2025, that country became the first in the world to introduce an age limit for access to social media, although the practical effects of this measure are still being debated. Platforms are already subject to obligations to protect minors in the EU under the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), but experts consider its enforcement insufficient. Last week, the European Commission concluded that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had breached the DSA due to the addictive design of its platforms and the harm caused to users, including minors.