EU Targets Social Media Platforms to Protect Children with Stricter Rules
European Union's Efforts to Regulate Social Media for Child Protection
Introduction: EU's Regulatory Push
BRUSSELS, May 12 (Reuters) - The European Union is working on regulations to reign in on social media's business models to protect children and youth, European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
The many damages caused to children and youth by exposure to social media are no accident "but the result of business models that treat our children's attention as a commodity," she said in a speech in Copenhagen.
Targeted Platforms and Specific Concerns
Focus on Major Social Media Companies
She added the EU is specifically targeting TikTok, X and Meta Platforms Instagram and Facebook.
Actions Against Addictive Features
"We are taking action against TikTok and its addictive design, endless scrolling, autoplay and push notifications. The same applies to Meta, because we believe Instagram and Facebook are failing to enforce their own minimum age of 13," she said.
AI and Harmful Content
Proceedings Against X for AI Misuse
The Commission has also started proceedings against X for the use of its Grok artificial intelligence tool in creating sexual images of women and children.
Upcoming Regulatory Measures
Targeting Harmful Design Practices
Later this year, the Commission will target "addictive
and harmful design practices" such as "attention capture, complex contracts, subscription traps", she said.
Advocacy for Age Restrictions
Von der Leyen also advocated for strict rules banning social media access for teenagers younger than a certain age.
"The question is not whether young people should have access to social media, the question is whether social media should have access to young people," she said.
Conclusion
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
