Von der Leyen calls for minimum age to access social media

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today backed a call to set a minimum age for accessing social media.

Many European Union countries “believe the time has come for a ‘digital majority age’ for access to social media. And I must tell you, as a mother of seven children, and grandmother of five, I share their view,” she said during an event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

EU countries like Greece, France and Denmark have been pushing to set a digital age of majority in recent months, arguing that social media causes harms to minors.

But exactly how this will be implemented is the subject of heated debate among policymakers.

The issue has gained increased attention worldwide after Australia moved to set a minimum age of 16 for signing up to accounts with certain social media sites as of later this year.

Speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, von der Leyen confirmed plans for an EU panel to “assess what steps make sense at the European level.”