“Children should be at least 16 to access social media”: European Parliament

On 26 November 2025, the European Parliament released a Press Note stating:

“To help parents manage their children’s digital presence and ensure age-appropriate online engagement, Parliament proposes a harmonised EU digital minimum age of 16 for access to social media, video-sharing platforms and AI companions, while allowing 13- to 16-year-olds access with parental consent.

Expressing support for the Commission’s work to develop an EU age verification app and the European digital identity (eID) wallet, MEPs insist that age assurance systems must be accurate and preserve minors’ privacy. Such systems do not relieve platforms of their responsibility to ensure their products are safe and age-appropriate by design, they add.

To incentivise better compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and other relevant laws, MEPs suggest senior managers could be made personally liable in cases of serious and persistent non-compliance, with particular respect to protection of minors and age verification”.

Stay informed—this could redefine how young Europeans engage on social media and how social media companies ensure compliance.

#EURegulation #DigitalSafety #AgeLimits #OnlineProtection #DigitalServicesAct  #YouthOnlineSafety #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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