EU Commission is slowing down national social media bans

Austria and other EU states are not allowed to introduce country-specific social media bans for children. Corresponding national draft laws should initially be postponed for a year, said a spokesman for the Brussels authority, according to the dpa news agency. Until then, a so-called standstill period applies.

The decision can also be understood as a signal to Germany and other EU countries not to continue with the development of national laws and instead to advance the EU Commission's proposal for a Europe-wide regulation. In September, Brussels proposed that across the EU only those aged 13 and over would be allowed to access social media and only those aged 15 and over would be allowed to create their own accounts on the platforms.

But before the proposed law can be implemented, the member states must agree at the European level and negotiate with the EU Parliament. This could take months or even years. The Commission spokesman said that the focus must be on these negotiations. He warned of fragmentation within the EU. This would be difficult to enforce and, according to the EU Commission, the online platforms would not be able to cope with it.

Specifically, the EU Commission's decision initially referred to a draft law in Austria, where platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat should only be permitted for young people aged 14 and over. Poland and Belgium had also submitted their proposals to the Brussels authorities. Since the European Commission enforces the digital rules in the EU against the major online platforms, member states have to notify them for national legislative proposals.

The German federal government had already decided on key points for transitional rules until the corresponding EU-wide social media restrictions come into force. Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien had said not to wait. A reform of the youth protection law is therefore planned in Germany. The goal is a cabinet decision this year. It will take a few months before the legislation is finalized in the Bundestag and Bundesrat.

Italy, France and Greece, however, are allowed to introduce their bans. According to Brussels, they had made their country-specific proposals long enough before the proposal for an EU-wide regulation. Greece was the first EU country to announce that it would ban access to social media for children and young people under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027.