EU Commission proposes social media ban for children under 13

In mid-September 2026, the European Commission proposed barring children under thirteen from social media platforms, placing the burden of age verification squarely on the platforms themselves rather than on families. The move reflects a deepening conviction among European regulators that the youngest digital citizens require categorical protection — not merely guidance — from the architectures of attention that now shape so much of childhood. As the proposal enters the legislative process, it carries implications that reach well beyond Europe's borders, quietly asking the rest of the world wh