On September 16, local time, European Commission President von der Leyen announced during his annual “Union Address” at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, that the EU will further strengthen the protection of underage Internet use and proposed age restrictions on the use of digital services such as social media by age group. Von der Leyen said that children under 13 are not allowed to use social media, and minors under 15 are not allowed to have personal social media accounts. For minors between the ages of 13 and 15, the EU proposes to allow them to use a “mini account” opened and supervised by a parent or guardian, while limiting account features and time of use. She also said that for minors aged 15 to 18, digital platforms will have to fulfill “safe design” obligations. Von der Leyen stressed that the EU “should not accept” addictive Internet features, nor should it accept children's constant exposure to more extreme online content. She said that in the future, the responsible relationship between platforms and users will change, and digital platforms will prove that their services are safe for children, rather than children and parents bearing the full risk. According to reports, the European Commission will announce specific plans related to the “Children's Internet Act” on September 17. The relevant measures will need to go through procedures such as EU member states and the European Parliament before they can finally be implemented.

On September 16, local time, European Commission President von der Leyen announced during his annual “Union Address” at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, that the EU will further strengthen the protection of underage Internet use and proposed age restrictions on the use of digital services such as social media by age group. Von der Leyen said that children under 13 are not allowed to use social media, and minors under 15 are not allowed to have personal social media accounts. For minors between the ages of 13 and 15, the EU proposes to allow them to use a “mini account” opened and supervised by a parent or guardian, while limiting account features and time of use. She also said that for minors aged 15 to 18, digital platforms will have to fulfill “safe design” obligations. Von der Leyen stressed that the EU “should not accept” addictive Internet features, nor should it accept children's constant exposure to more extreme online content. She said that in the future, the responsible relationship between platforms and users will change, and digital platforms will prove that their services are safe for children, rather than children and parents bearing the full risk. According to reports, the European Commission will announce specific plans related to the “Children's Internet Act” on September 17. The relevant measures will need to go through procedures such as EU member states and the European Parliament before they can finally be implemented.