European countries take action without waiting for EU's joint social media regulation

European Union member states have started implementing their own national age limits and bans to restrict children's social media usage without waiting for a joint regulation from the European Commission.

The EU Child Act announced by the European Commission in September, which envisions banning children under 13 from accessing social media platforms, has not yet been enacted. While it is projected that the legislative process and enforcement of the rules could take until 2028, this situation has led member states to rapidly draft their own national legislation.

While the Greek Parliament has approved a social media ban for those under 15, ministers in Cyprus have also approved the same age limit. Countries such as Italy, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, and Germany are also continuing work on similar national restriction and ban proposals.