EU proposes ban on social media for under‑15s, Irish politicians divided

The European Commission has drafted legislation that would prohibit anyone under 15 from creating a social‑media account and would require age‑verification, a ban on infinite scrolling and “excessive” notifications, and other safeguards.

Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty welcomed the move, saying the EU is finally taking “serious action to protect children online” and that the plan places responsibility on the companies that design and profit from these platforms.

Social Democrats TD Sineád Gibney, however, described the proposal as “watered down”, noting that full details have not yet been released and raising concerns about privacy, the practicality of parental consent for 13‑15‑year‑olds and the need to address algorithmic harms.

Gibney also warned that age‑verification could expose young users to scams and that it is not a “silver bullet” for the complex issue of online harm.

The draft will now be considered by the European Parliament, following recent US court rulings that forced Facebook to pay an $18 billion fine and impose youth‑safety restrictions.

Online‑safety advocates such as Noeline Blackwell of the Children’s Right Alliance praised the broader trend of holding Big Tech to account, but urged that any EU measures also tackle recommender algorithms, which are absent from the current Commission recommendations.

Source: Dublin People. Photo: Atypeek Dgn / Pexels.