Story perspectives

Europe Proposes 16-Year Age Minimum for Social Media Access

10/18/2025

Summary

Story summary

To protect minors online, European lawmakers propose a 16-year minimum age for social media access without parental consent.
The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) of the European Parliament adopted the report with 32 votes in favor.
The committee recommends banning engagement-based algorithms for minors.
The committee recommends prohibiting gambling-like features in games.
The European Parliament will vote on these recommendations from November 24-27, 2025.

History

Historical Context

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), enacted in 1998 and effective from April 21, 2000, established crucial regulations to protect minors' online privacy by requiring parental consent for data collection from children under 13. This legislation emerged amid growing concerns about children's safety online, paralleling recent European proposals for stricter age limits, highlighting ongoing global efforts to safeguard young users in digital environments.

1 of 2

Story summary

To protect minors online, European lawmakers propose a 16-year minimum age for social media access without parental consent.
The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) of the European Parliament adopted the report with 32 votes in favor.
The committee recommends banning engagement-based algorithms for minors.
The committee recommends prohibiting gambling-like features in games.
The European Parliament will vote on these recommendations from November 24-27, 2025.

1 / 2