European public pushes for mandatory child‑safety design on social media platforms

A survey conducted by YouGov for the advocacy group Reset Tech gathered responses from five European nations – France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland – and found overwhelming support for stronger protections for minors online. Respondents want social‑media services to embed child safety by default, eliminate addictive features such as infinite scrolling, personalized advertising and behavioral profiling, and to be held legally and criminally liable for failures. In Spain, 82 % back additional economic sanctions, 76 % say company executives should face criminal responsibility and 66 % doubt that platforms can self‑regulate.

The study backs a draft Spanish law that would ban harmful design elements for users under 16 and calls for a stricter regulatory framework across the EU. Michiel van Hulten, Reset Tech’s EU director, said: “Nobody would be expected to check whether a toy is safe for a child or install a car seat belt themselves; social‑media products must meet minimum safety standards before reaching the market.”