Phoenix 24
Protecting children online is becoming a test of whether Europe can regulate platforms without sacrificing privacy.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Spain and the Netherlands have submitted a joint proposal urging the European Commission to establish a common minimum age for accessing social media and other potentially addictive digital services. The initiative seeks to replace fragmented national rules with a single European framework capable of holding technology companies responsible for protecting minors.
The proposal sent to Brussels does not establish a definitive age. The Dutch government favours restricting independent access to social media for children under 15, while Spain has previously advocated a minimum age of 16. France supports a prohibition for children under 15, and an advisory group working with the European Commission has recommended preventing independent access before the age of 13. These differences will have to be reconciled before binding legislation can emerge.
Madrid and The Hague argue that children face systematic exposure to addictive algorithms, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, harmful content and commercial manipulation. Their approach would shift responsibility away from families by requiring platforms to demonstrate that their services are structurally safe for younger users. Companies able to prove that their products do not contain addictive or harmful features could potentially receive exemptions.
A European rule would also prevent children from encountering different restrictions whenever they travel or access services operated from another member state. Governments maintain that a harmonised system would provide greater certainty for families, regulators and technology companies while strengthening enforcement under the Digital Services Act.
Implementation remains the most difficult question. Reliable age verification may require digital identity systems, facial-age estimation or checks involving official documents. Each option creates concerns about data collection, surveillance and the possibility of sensitive information being exposed. An effective policy would therefore need to verify a user’s age without revealing more personal information than necessary.
Critics also warn that prohibition alone may push children toward unregulated platforms, false accounts or services operating outside European jurisdiction. Digital literacy, parental guidance, safer product design and accessible mental-health support would consequently remain essential. The European debate is not simply about deciding when children may open an account, but about whether platforms should continue profiting from systems deliberately designed to capture and retain their attention.
No binding EU-wide age limit has yet been adopted. The European Commission must determine whether to present legislation, after which member states and the European Parliament would negotiate its final scope.
Protecting children requires more than restricting access; it requires changing the systems designed to hold their attention.