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Global efforts intensify to regulate social media for child safety
Governments and advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to regulate social media to protect minors from digital risks, including harmful content, predatory contact, and addictive service designs.
In the European Union, over 130 organizations and experts have urged the Commission to mandate safer platform designs rather than implementing blanket bans on minors. This call precedes an upcoming presentation by Ursula von der Leyen regarding EU plans to combat addictive applications and harmful content. While France has advocated for bans on social media for children under 15, other discussions focus on stricter enforcement of the Digital Services Act and age verification standards.
Globally, legislative trends vary. Spain is considering raising the minimum social media age to 16. In Australia, recent amendments to the Online Safety Act require companies to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from accessing social media. Meanwhile, in the United States, at least 21 states have enacted some form of youth protection regulation.
At a recent conference in Dublin, officials from Croatia and Spain discussed bilateral cooperation on media transparency, disinformation, and child protection, emphasizing the need for technological industry accountability to match the speed of digital change.
Entities
European House · European Union · Nina Obuljen Koržinek · Patrick O’Donovan · Ursula von der Leyen · Óscar López Águeda
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Over 130 organizations and experts have called on the EU to mandate safer social media for children. 24-ore.com · abcnews.al
- [● 2 SOURCES] Australia's 2024 Online Safety Act amendment requires social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts. tbs-mri.com · news.cube-soft.jp
- [● 2 SOURCES] The EU Digital Services Act mandates that providers take appropriate and proportionate measures to protect minors' privacy and safety. tbs-mri.com · news.cube-soft.jp
- [● 2 SOURCES] Spain is considering a legislative initiative to raise the minimum age for social media access to 16. prigorski.hr · www.novilist.hr
- [● 2 SOURCES] Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present EU plans for protecting children from harmful content and addictive applications. 24-ore.com · abcnews.al
- [● 2 SOURCES] Advocacy groups argue against general bans for minors, instead requesting a common European framework for digital safety focused on platform design. 24-ore.com · abcnews.al