Can the EU protect kids from the dangers of social media?

The European Union has decided it's time to take responsibility for safeguarding young users from the potential harms of social media. Studies show that a significant majority of European adolescents are experiencing emotional and psychological distress as a result of their online interactions. In response, the EU is implementing new regulations aimed at holding social media platforms accountable for protecting minors.

Key elements of the proposed legislation include establishing a minimum age of 15 for creating social media accounts, with children under 3 completely barred from these platforms. Those aged 3 to 12 will be limited to child-specific services, while teens aged 13 and 14 will require parental consent to open restricted accounts that enforce strict usage parameters. To enforce age restrictions without sacrificing user privacy, platforms will need to integrate with a secure European age verification system.

In addition to age gating, the regulations ban addictive features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and continuous push notifications. They also restrict engagement-based recommendation algorithms that are designed to keep users hooked. Minor accounts will be private by default, with location tracking and open direct messaging disabled. Non-compliant platforms risk facing substantial fines, up to 6% of their global annual revenue.

The success of this framework in actually improving online safety for children remains to be seen. Some argue that it represents an overreach into digital privacy and freedom. To gauge public opinion on the issue, an anonymous online poll has been launched exclusively for XL's EU-wide coverage. The results will contribute to shaping the outlet's reporting as Europe grapples with balancing online safety and digital rights in the age of artificial intelligence.