Social media: EU law on minors’ access to be unveiled on Thursday
The European Commission is set to unveil a draft law on the protection of children online on Thursday, a day after related announcements that its president, Ursula von der Leyen, is due to make. The legislation could affect brands’ digital marketing, given that social media accounts for 27% of digital advertising budgets across Europe.
The Commission president, who has for months been considering the introduction of a minimum digital age at EU level, is expected to announce her decisions on minors’ access to social media during her major address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Following this speech, Ursula von der Leyen and the digital commissioner, Henna Virkkunen, will present the ‘EU Kids Act’ in Brussels on Thursday, Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told the press, without providing further details.
If von der Leyen follows the recommendations of a European expert committee published in July, she could propose requiring online platforms to demonstrate that they are “safe by design” if they wish to be accessible to minors. That would entail dropping features considered the most addictive.
The same experts have also proposed a total ban on social media for under-13s. France and its president, Emmanuel Macron, are pushing for a ban for under-15s.
By establishing a minimum digital age applicable across its 27 member states, the EU would be following in the footsteps of Australia, which last year banned social media for under-16s to protect them from the risks to their physical and mental health posed by online platforms.
This article is a translation.
Click here to read the original article.
