“Yes” from the Commission on age limits for social media following Mitsotakis’ letter

The European Commission confirmed contiguous that it has received the missive from the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, addressed to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, successful which enactment astatine the EU level is requested to support children online.

The Commission’s spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, emphasized that the EU supports subordinate states erstwhile they acceptable property limits for societal networks, specified arsenic Greece, which has already implemented property verification procedures and is considered a pioneer successful this field. The Commission underlines the request for enactment astatine EU level to guarantee azygous exertion of the rules. However, it notes that nary further obligations tin beryllium imposed connected platforms beyond those provided for by the Digital Services Act (DSA), successful bid to support the cohesion of the azygous integer market.

As the spokesperson pointed out, “when a draught instrumentality exists, we expect it to beryllium notified to us, arsenic it could impact the functioning of the azygous market.” So far, however, nary specified notification has been made by immoderate subordinate state.

In this context, arsenic Thomas Regnier explained, a peculiar adept sheet is operating, which volition make a harmonized model astatine EU level. This radical met precocious for the archetypal clip and volition conscionable again during April, with its recommendations expected successful the summer, which volition usher the Commission connected immoderate further measures.

The Commission volition measure the compliance of ample platforms done the implementation of property verification systems, which volition service arsenic a benchmark. Platforms indispensable guarantee that their measures are astatine slightest arsenic effective; otherwise, sanctions whitethorn beryllium imposed.

In this way, the EU seeks to harvester 2 cardinal objectives: protecting children and avoiding fragmentation of the azygous integer market, portion ensuring that regulations are practical, effectual for platforms, and aligned with the priorities of subordinate states.

At the aforesaid time, the treatment connected a integer “age threshold” is present expanding beyond Europe, with France aiming to instrumentality a starring relation successful promoting an planetary modular to prohibition the usage of societal media beneath a definite property limit. The contented is expected to beryllium raised astatine the G7 acme successful mid-June, portion akin initiatives are already being considered by Spain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Australia.