EU Targets TikTok, Meta and X Over Addictive Social Media Features
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for stronger protections for children online on Tuesday, warning that social media platforms such as TikTok, Meta and X are using “addictive designs” that may harm teenagers.
Her comments signal that the European Union could move toward introducing stricter rules on teen access to social media platforms, including the possibility of age-based restrictions in the future.
Europe Tightens Rules on Teen Social Media Use
Several European countries are already taking a tougher stance on social media usage among teenagers. Nations including Norway, France, Turkey and the United Kingdom are either debating or implementing new laws aimed at limiting or banning social media access for younger users.
Many policymakers are looking at Australia’s earlier regulatory efforts as a model for future action.
Speaking in Copenhagen, von der Leyen questioned the influence social media companies have over children and teenagers.
“The question is not whether young people should have access to social media, the question is whether social media should have access to young people,” she said.
The European Commission president also highlighted growing concerns surrounding mental health and online safety risks linked to social media platforms.
Concerns Over Mental Health and Online Harm
Von der Leyen warned that problems such as sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, addictive behavior, exploitation and self-harm are becoming increasingly common among young social media users.
According to her, the European Union plans to directly target harmful platform design practices through its upcoming Digital Fairness Act (DFA), expected to be introduced later this year.
The legislation would focus on restricting manipulative digital features designed to maximize user engagement.
EU Considers Social Media Age Restrictions
The European Commission is also reviewing whether additional legal measures should be introduced to delay children’s exposure to social media platforms.
Von der Leyen revealed that an expert panel is currently preparing recommendations, while the EU is considering potential legal proposals that could emerge as early as this summer.
Digital Fairness Act to Ban Addictive Features
Under the proposed Digital Fairness Act, the EU aims to ban manipulative design tactics, addictive platform features and misleading influencer marketing practices.
Von der Leyen argued that many online risks stem from business models that treat children’s attention as a commercial product.
She also called for tighter restrictions on how artificial intelligence is used across social media platforms.
TikTok, Meta and X Face Ongoing EU Investigations
The European Commission is already investigating TikTok over features such as endless scrolling, autoplay videos and push notifications, which regulators believe encourage addictive behavior.
Meta is also under scrutiny because EU officials believe Instagram and Facebook are failing to properly enforce their minimum age requirement of 13 years old.
Meanwhile, X is facing investigation over concerns tied to its AI chatbot Grok, including the spread of manipulated and sexualized images across the platform.
Representatives from TikTok, Meta and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
EU Expands Digital Services Act Enforcement
The upcoming Digital Fairness Act is expected to strengthen the existing Digital Services Act (DSA), which already requires major tech platforms to do more to combat illegal and harmful content online.
In another legal development on Tuesday, Europe’s top court supported Italy’s telecoms regulator in a dispute with Meta regarding compensation for publishers whose article snippets appear on the platform.
At the same time, TikTok made a final attempt to challenge its classification as a “gatekeeper” under EU digital competition rules, which would subject the company to stricter regulatory obligations.
