Strasbourg, France (dpa) - The European Commission plans to ban the use of social media for children under the age of 13, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
"I am aware that many perceive the power of big tech as overwhelming, and impossible to roll back. I disagree," von der Leyen said in an address to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg.
Under the plans, children will have access to social media under parental supervision from age 13, but will only be able to create a personal account once they turn 15.
"That means from 13 to under 15, only mini accounts set up and supervised by parents or guardians," she said. These supervised accounts are to have limited features and can be used for one hour a day. "And between 15 and 18, safe design will be an obligation for the platforms."
The commission interprets "safety by design" as including restrictions on algorithms that encourage addictive behaviour or features such as infinite scrolling or the automatic playback of videos.
Major social media platforms already set a minimum age of 13 in their terms and conditions. EU regulators have, however, repeatedly criticized them for failing to enforce the age limit.
The bill is expected to be presented in more detail on Thursday.
The European Parliament and EU countries are then to scrutinize and amend the proposal. It could take months or even years before an agreement on the final version of the law is reached.
While France and some other EU countries, including Greece and Austria, have campaigned for legislation to set a minimum age for social media use, other countries are more hesitant.
France has planned a ban for children and young people under the age of 15.
Currently, capitals already have the power to restrict access for children, but parents would then have to ensure that their children comply with the rules. Requiring online giants to carry out age checks can only be imposed through EU legislation.
Von der Leyen has repeatedly spoken out against the impacts of using social media and other digital applications at a young age and has campaigned for safety measures for several months.
"Young Europeans now spend 4 to 6 hours a day on screens," she told EU lawmakers.
"Children are pulled ever deeper into feeds designed to keep them scrolling. What we are witnessing is a great capture of our children, a capture of their attention, their focus, their minds."
"This is depriving children of their childhood," she warned.