EU pushes for minimum age of 16 on social media access

In its adopted report, Parliament also urged the European Union to consider holding technology executives, including Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, personally liable if their platforms repeatedly breach EU rules on safeguarding minors. The provision was introduced by Hungarian center right member Dóra Dávid, who previously worked for Meta.

The initiative comes amid heightened concern across the EU about the impact of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube on the mental health and development of young users. Several member states are preparing new national restrictions, while Australia is moving to implement a nationwide age limit of 16 for social media access. The European Parliament supported the age threshold with 483 votes in favor, 92 against and 86 abstentions.

The report calls on the European Commission to ensure consistent age verification standards across the bloc, as governments advance their own systems for online age checks. Right leaning groups cast most of the opposing and abstaining votes, arguing that the proposals overstep the competences of EU member states.

Prepared by Danish social democrat Christel Schaldemose, who previously led Parliament’s work on the Digital Services Act, the report is expected to guide upcoming legislative deliberations. Next year, the European Commission plans to propose revisions to the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and introduce a Digital Fairness Act, both containing extensive provisions on child protection.

In its concluding recommendations, Parliament backed reinforced EU measures, supporting a minimum age of 16 for access to social media, video platforms and AI based services, with parental consent required for users aged 13 to 16.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Snapchat has begun asking children and teenagers in Australia to verify their ages, using software provided by the country’s banks, according to a company spokesperson.