EU targets TikTok, Instagram over addictive design as bloc considers social media ban for children

EU targets social media to protect children, von der Leyen says

BRUSSELS, May 12 (Reuters) - The European Union is working on regulations to reign in on social media's business models to protect children and youth, European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. The many damages caused to children and youth by exposure to social media are no accident "but the result of business models that treat our children's attention as a ⁠commodity," she said in a speech in Copenhagen. She added the EU is specifically targeting TikTok, X and Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab Instagram and Facebook. "We are taking action against TikTok and its addictive design, endless scrolling, autoplay and push notifications. The same applies to Meta, because we believe Instagram and Facebook are failing to enforce their own minimum age of ⁠13," she said. The Commission has also started proceedings against X for the use of its Grok artificial intelligence tool in creating sexual images of women and children. Later this year, the Commission ⁠will target "addictive and harmful design practices" such as "attention capture, complex contracts, subscription traps", she said. Von der Leyen also advocated for strict rules ⁠banning social media access for teenagers younger than a certain age. "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. Reporting by Inti Landauro, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

EU to crack down on TikTok, Instagram's 'addictive design' targeting kids on social media

The EU is clamping down on social media firms and plans to target "addictive design" features on TikTok and Instagram as governments worldwide look to protect children from the harms of social media. The region will take action against certain features on social media platforms later in the year, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children in Denmark. "We are taking action against TikTok and its addictive design - endless scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications. The same applies to Meta, because we believe Instagram and Facebook are failing to enforce their own minimum age of 13," Von der Leyen said. "We are investigating platforms that allow children to go down 'rabbit holes' of harmful content - such as videos that promote eating disorders or self-harm," she added. The EU's executive arm has also developed its own age verification app, which has the "highest privacy standards in the world," according to Von Der Leyen. Member states will soon be able to integrate it into their digital wallets, and it can easily be enforced by online platforms. "No more excuses - the technology for age-verification is available," the EU chief said. Earlier this year, the EU Commission launched an investigation against Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, for the spreading of sexually explicit non-consensual content of women and children generated by its chatbot Grok.

Von der Leyen opens door to EU-wide social media ban for children

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday the EU could propose a bloc-wide social media ban for children as early as this summer, amid mounting pressure from member states to strengthen online protections for minors. Support for stricter controls has grown in recent months, with France, Spain, Greece and Denmark leading calls for measures to shield children from what governments describe as addictive online platforms. "We are witnessing the lightning speed at which technology is advancing - and how it penetrates every corner of childhood and adolescence," von der Leyen told delegates at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children in Copenhagen. Several EU countries are already pursuing national legislation, although Brussels has faced pressure to maintain a harmonised approach across the bloc's single market. The European Commission has established an independent expert panel on online child safety to assess possible measures aimed at tackling issues including addiction and social anxiety among minors. "Without pre-empting the panel's findings, I believe we must consider a social media delay. Depending on the results, we could come forward with a legal proposal this summer," she said. The proposed timeline could allow Brussels to move ahead of new French legislation expected to come into force in September. The law would require platforms including Instagram and TikTok to block users under the age of 15 and suspend existing accounts. One of the main challenges for the EU has been finding a common technical solution for age verification. Platforms would be expected to use the system to ensure only users above a certain age can access their services. Von der Leyen said "discussions about a minimum age for social media can no longer be ignored", referring to an EU age-verification app modelled on the bloc's EU Digital COVID Certificate system. While the Commission has formally recommended the app to member states, several governments have reacted cautiously. Cybersecurity experts have also raised concerns over potential technical vulnerabilities. The EU is not alone in considering tougher restrictions on children's social media use. Australia and Indonesia have already introduced similar measures. Meanwhile, Brussels has placed platforms including Instagram and Snapchat under scrutiny under the Digital Services Act over concerns they failed to protect minors adequately. The bloc is also considering banning certain addictive design features under the proposed Digital Fairness Act. "We all know that sustainable change does not happen overnight. But if we are slow and hesitant, it will be another entire generation of children that pays the price," von der Leyen said.

EU chief turns up heat on social media's 'addictive' design

BRUSSELS, May 12 (Reuters) - The European Union is working on new rules to protect children from the addictive designs of social media such as TikTok, Meta and X, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. "Sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addictive behaviour, cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, suicide. Risks are multiplying fast," von der Leyen said in a speech in Copenhagen. "These risks are the reality of the digital world. They are not accidental. They are the result of business models that treat our children's attention as a commodity." Von der Leyen said the Commission will specifically target "addictive and harmful design practices" in its Digital Fairness Act (DFA), due to be proposed towards the end of the year. The DFA would also set strict limits on the use of artificial intelligence in social media, she said, while she advocated for a minimum age for social media access. "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 new regulation will strengthen and expand the Digital Services Act (DSA) which requires large platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content, she said. Under these rules, the Commission is already investigating TikTok, X and Meta Platforms' Instagram and Facebook. "We are taking action against TikTok and its addictive design, endless scrolling, autoplay and push notifications. The same applies to Meta, because we believe Instagram and Facebook are failing to enforce their own minimum age of 13," Von der Leyen said. The Commission has also started proceedings against X for the use of its Grok artificial intelligence tool in creating sexual images of women and children. Spokespeople at the three companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Inti Landauro, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Meijer, Alexandra Hudson)