European Commission Unveils Plan to Ban Social Media for Under 13s

The European Commission plans to impose strict new restrictions on children's use of social media, technology services, and artificial intelligence, as part of unified European legislation to protect minors online. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the proposed plan bans social media use for those under 13 and prohibits personal account creation for individuals under 15. Under the plan, children aged 13-14 can use some platforms via parent-supervised accounts with limited features. Von der Leyen's remarks precede a new EU proposal expected to impose stringent age verification controls across social media platforms, app stores, and electronic games. Companies violating these rules could face fines up to 6% of their annual revenue.