EU Blocks Austria’s Proposed Social Media Ban for Children Under 14

The European Union has blocked Austria’s proposed law to ban children under 14 from using social media, saying member states should wait for a common European policy before introducing similar national restrictions.

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it would postpone national draft laws that overlap with its planned bloc-wide regulations for 12 months.

EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the decision was intended to allow member states to focus on negotiations over the proposed EU Kids Act and ensure consistent enforcement of the bloc’s rules.

EU Pushes for Common Social Media Age Rules

The European Commission proposed last month to prohibit children under 13 from accessing social media, while allowing limited and supervised access for those below 15.

The bloc is concerned that individual national restrictions could create different age limits and regulations across member states. It also fears that countries with existing national laws may have less incentive to support the proposed European-wide legislation.

The commission hopes EU member states and the European Parliament will reach an agreement on the new rules in the coming months.

Austria Questions the EU Decision

Austria had pushed for its proposed restriction to take effect quickly, with plans to make the law enforceable immediately after the one-year postponement.

However, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler criticised the commission's decision, saying he could not understand why efforts to protect children from the harmful effects of social media should be delayed.

He maintained that protecting children from the daily harm caused by social media companies should not be postponed.

Different Rules Across EU Countries

The commission's decision may not affect every national proposal in the same way. France's proposed law, which was submitted to Brussels before the bloc-wide legislation was introduced, is expected to avoid being blocked, although the commission has asked Paris to revise it.

Greece has also been able to pass its own rules, which were drafted before September. Meanwhile, the EU has yet to issue decisions on proposed restrictions from other member states, including Italy and Slovakia.

The disagreement highlights the challenge facing European policymakers as they seek a common approach to children's social media use while some member states push for faster national action.

AFP