Source: European Commission (video statements)
"The question is not whether young people should have access to social media, the question is whether social media should have access to young people."
On 12 May, 2026, Commission President von der Leyen gave th keynote speech at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children Copenhagen stating that Europe must reclaim childhood in the digital age by putting children’s safety above tech profits.
President von der Leyen called for stronger accountability for social media platforms, stricter protections against addictive and harmful online design, reliable age verification, and a possible minimum age for social media access.
The EU had already taken several key measures the EU has already taken — and plans to strengthen — to protect children online:
• Enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) against platforms with addictive or harmful designs.
• Using the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to prevent abuse of market power by major tech companies.
• Launching investigations into platforms such as TikTok, Meta, and X over child safety concerns.
• Creating a Special Panel of Experts on Child Safety Online to guide future action.
• Considering a legal proposal for a social media delay/minimum age requirement for children.
• Developing an EU age verification app with high privacy standards and open-source technology.
• Integrating age verification into European Digital Wallets.
• Advancing the principle of “safety by design” for online platforms and AI systems.
• Preparing a Digital Fairness Act targeting addictive design practices, attention-capture tactics, and subscription traps.
• Making children’s rights a priority in AI regulation and development.
• Promoting media literacy and digital education to help children think critically online.
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/stories/M-009986
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