The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Tuesday that the EU is drafting new regulations to protect children from addictive design features on social media platforms such as TikTok, Meta, and X.
Speaking in Copenhagen, von der Leyen stated: "Sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addictive behavior, online bullying, online grooming, exploitation, suicide risk—these dangers are rapidly escalating."
"These risks are the reality of the digital world. They are not accidental; they are the result of a business model that treats our children's attention as a commodity to be sold."
Von der Leyen indicated that the European Commission will specifically address addictive and harmful product design practices within the proposed Digital Fairness Act, with a draft expected to be submitted by the end of this year.
She also noted that the Digital Fairness Act will impose strict limitations on the use of artificial intelligence in social media, while the EU is advocating for the establishment of a minimum age for social media access.
Von der Leyen proposed that the EU must consider setting a minimum age for social media use, adding that the European Commission may present a legislative proposal on this issue this summer, following recommendations from an expert panel.
She stated: "The question is not whether young people should use social media, but whether social media should reach minors."
She pointed out that the new regulations will further strengthen and expand the scope of oversight, building upon the existing Digital Services Act, which already requires large platforms to intensify efforts against illegal and harmful content.
Under current regulations, the European Commission has initiated investigations into TikTok, X, and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
Von der Leyen said: "We are taking regulatory action against TikTok regarding its addictive design, infinite scroll, autoplay, and notification mechanisms. Meta is also under scrutiny, as we believe Instagram and Facebook are not adequately enforcing their own minimum age rule of 13."
The European Commission has also launched legal proceedings against X for using its Grok AI tool to generate pornographic images involving women and minors.
Spokespersons for the three companies involved have not yet commented on the matter.
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