The European Commission is introducing new rules for children's access to social media through the Children's Act, which establishes age limits and new requirements for online platforms. The proposal has already been submitted for consideration to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, where the legislative process will begin.
According to the new regulations, persons under 13 years of age will not have access to social media. For children between 13 and 15 years old, an option for use via special profiles is provided, which are created and managed with the involvement of a parent or guardian. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EC Executive Vice-President for technological sovereignty, security, and democracy, Henna Virkkunen, presented the initiative.
"No use of social media for persons under 13, no creation of personal profiles for persons under 15 years of age. Only "mini-profiles" are allowed, created and controlled by parents or guardians, with limited functions and a usage time limit of a maximum of 1 hour per day, which also applies to persons between the ages of 15 and 18. Ensuring safe design will be mandatory for platforms," stated Ursula von der Leyen.
Platforms will be required to use age verification tools, with the Commission citing an EU application as an example that does not store biometric data or identity documents. The use of addictive mechanisms to capture children's attention is prohibited, as are recommendation algorithms based on profiling that can lead minors into so-called "rabbit holes" of harmful content.
The new EU rules will change the way children and families in Burgas and the surrounding region use social media.
The decision follows Eurobarometer data for the current year. According to them, in July, 92% of Europeans believe that child protection on the internet should be strengthened, and about 70% express concern about cyberbullying. The data shows that young people in Europe spend an average of between 4 and 6 hours per day in front of screens, while for those who started using social media before the age of 10, this time reaches 7-8 hours per day.