EU nations want mandatory social media age verification
(MENAFN) France, Spain, and Greece are leading efforts to implement mandatory age verification for social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), according to a report by Bloomberg. The proposed rules would require all devices connected to the internet to be equipped with age-check technology. The three nations are working together on this initiative ahead of a meeting with other EU digital services ministers scheduled for June 6.
These countries argue that the lack of widespread age-verification systems makes it difficult to enforce age limits on social media effectively. They hope to use the EU’s collective economic power, representing 450 million consumers, to pressure tech companies into adopting stronger verification methods.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for this initiative, emphasizing that social media has contributed to mental health issues among young people. “We must protect our children,” he said, urging that age verification should be enforced for teenagers using social networks.
The European Commission and several EU members are already working on pilot projects to enhance parental controls and age verification, though progress has been slowed by regulatory differences between EU countries and the challenge of blocking access from outside the bloc.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed the need for a universal real ID system to ensure that minors cannot access inappropriate content on social media.
Other countries have already implemented or are planning similar measures. Australia has banned social media use for individuals under 16, and Spain is reviewing a bill to introduce a similar restriction. Norway is working towards setting a minimum age of 15 for social media access, though no timeline is in place yet.
In France, 200 schools have begun testing a “digital break” that prevents students under 15 from using smartphones during school hours. Russia has also introduced a ban on cellphones in schools, except in emergencies.
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