EU debate over children’s social media rules exposes three major rifts

European governments broadly agree that children need stronger protections online, but remain split on how far to go and who should decide. Twenty-five EU member states, joined by Norway and Iceland, recently endorsed a ministerial declaration calling for tougher safeguards and privacy-preserving age checks, while leaving room for national choices. Belgium and Estonia declined to sign, warning that blanket bans could overreach and urging a stronger focus on digital education.

At the heart of the debate are three fault lines:

1) Bans vs. parental consent. France and Denmark have floated full prohibitions on social media use for under-15s; Paris has also pushed a digital age of majority and broader age-verification experiments. Others prefer allowing access with verified parental consent, arguing parents should keep primary responsibility as the state sets baseline safeguards.

2) EU-wide law vs national control. Some capitals want the European Commission to craft legislation to harmonise rules; others insist choices like minimum ages and enforcement should remain national, citing different legal traditions and capacities. The ministerial text itself signals only a shared political direction, not binding law, and explicitly or implicitly anticipates follow-up initiatives at both levels.

3) How to enforce, and at what privacy cost. Proposals range from platform obligations and design changes to age-verification systems. Supporters say verification can be effective and privacy-preserving; critics counter that large-scale identity checks risk undermining anonymity and children’s rights, and may be difficult to implement. The EU is already probing platforms’ protection of minors under the Digital Services Act, while some countries test age-assurance pilots. Le Monde.fr+1

The split has sharpened as several leaders press for rapid action. Denmark’s government recently signalled plans to ban social media for under-15s, framing it as a public-health measure; France has suggested a similar line and has led parallel efforts on age checks for adult sites. Others, including Belgium and Estonia, argue that education and media literacy measures should take precedence over prohibitions.

For now, the EU’s pathway runs through existing frameworks, most notably the DSA’s child-safety duties—combined with national experiments on verification and parental-consent models. Whether the bloc converges on a single digital age of majority or preserves a patchwork of national rules will depend on how these three fault lines are resolved in the coming months.