Menores y redes sociales
La UE propone una nueva ley para limitar el acceso de menores a redes sociales
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The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping new law to protect children from social media addiction and harm. The rules ban all users under 13 from social networks entirely, require parental permission for ages 13 to 15, and force platforms to remove addictive design features for anyone under 18. Diario de Córdoba reports the proposal aims to cut both underage access and compulsive use through strict penalties on non-compliant platforms.
The law marks Europe's most aggressive attempt yet to regulate Big Tech's grip on young people. Platforms that ignore the rules face heavy fines. The changes reshape how social networks operate across the 27-nation EU, affecting millions of teenagers and forcing companies like Meta, TikTok, and X to rethink their business models in Europe's market.
A Total Ban for Children Under 13
Children younger than 13 cannot create accounts or use social media at all under the new EU rule. La Opinión de Murcia explains the Commission views young teens as too vulnerable to algorithmic manipulation and predatory behavior. The blanket prohibition removes any gray area — platforms must verify age and block access before signup, not after.
This age cutoff aligns with data showing mental health risks spike in early adolescence. The rule applies to all social platforms equally, from Instagram to TikTok. No exceptions exist for educational use or parental consent — the ban is absolute.
Supervised Access for Teens Ages 13 to 15
Teenagers aged 13 to 15 can use social media only with explicit parental permission. El Correo Gallego notes parents must actively approve each child's account and retain control over settings. Platforms must offer parents dashboards showing who their child contacts, how much time they spend, and which content they view.
This middle ground balances teenage autonomy with family safety. Parents can revoke access anytime. The law requires platforms to make parental controls easy to use — no buried menus or technical jargon.
Removing Addictive Design Tricks for All Under 18
Social networks must strip out features designed to trap users under 18 into endless scrolling. La Provincia reports the ban targets infinite feeds, autoplay, push notifications timed to exploit psychology, and algorithmic feeds that reward engagement over wellbeing. Platforms must use chronological feeds for teens instead.
The law also bans personalized ads targeting minors and blocks kids from accessing livestreams where strangers can send gifts. Dark patterns — design tricks that nudge users toward unwanted actions — become illegal. These changes hit social media's profit model by cutting the engagement metrics that drive advertising revenue.
Steep Fines for Platforms That Break the Rules
Companies ignoring the law face fines up to 6% of their global annual revenue. Levante-EMV explains the penalty structure mirrors the EU's GDPR privacy law, which has already cost tech giants billions. For Meta or TikTok, 6% of yearly sales can mean hundreds of millions of euros per violation.
Regulators will enforce the rules across all 27 EU countries with coordinated oversight. Información reports member states must appoint agencies to monitor compliance and investigate complaints from parents and child safety groups. The threat of massive fines gives platforms strong incentive to comply rather than fight the law in courts.
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