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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called for age-appropriate restrictions on social media platforms, saying the EU should establish a minimum age for children's access to services with addictive and harmful features.
Speaking in Brussels alongside the co-chairs of the European Commission's Special Panel on Child Safety Online, von der Leyen said online platforms must do more to protect children and be held accountable for the risks their services pose.
"It is very clear that we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms," she said. "This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children."
She argued that the debate has shifted from whether children face online risks to how policymakers can ensure "a safer start online," pointing to the EU's planned age verification app as one tool to help enforce age limits.
Von der Leyen added that research indicates children under the age of three should have no exposure to screens, while older children should use social media only under the supervision of parents, caregivers, or teachers, and for limited periods.
She said the EU should first define which digital services pose the greatest risks to children, describing them as "social media plus," including platforms with addictive features and age-inappropriate content, before considering phased access for different age groups.
"The platforms were the architects of these systems. Now they must prove that their services do no harm. In Europe, whoever develops a product is responsible for its safety. ... And the very same must be true for big tech," von der Leyen stressed.
She added that the European Commission will examine the recommendations of the expert panel and present legislative proposals after the summer.
The remarks came as a new Eurobarometer survey showed broad public support for stronger EU action to protect children online.
According to the survey, 63% of Europeans favor EU rules restricting children's access to social media by age, including 36% who support an outright ban below a certain age and 27% who back delayed access.
Cyberbullying (71%), online grooming and sexual exploitation (70%), exposure to harmful content (69%), and misuse of children's personal data (69%) ranked among citizens' top concerns.
