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Laying out a list of her concerns about the use of social media
by kids, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — a
doctor by training — said that children under 3 should have no
exposure to screens at all.
“I believe we need to consider phased and gradual access for
different age ranges because childhood won’t wait and once it’s
gone, we can never give it back,” von der Leyen told reporters.
“Just as we don’t give our children keys to the car before they
have their license, or we do not let them buy alcohol until they
are legally allowed. We need to set the age at which they can,
the children can, legally access social media,” she said.
Von der Leyen noted infinite scrolling as one of the “addictive”
traits that tech companies must address.
Beyond toddlers, she did not mention any precise restrictions,
but she and the European Commission — the EU’s powerful
executive branch — are likely to come up with a proposal for the
27 member countries to weigh in the near future. Von der Leyen’s
policy proposals carry great influence with EU member countries.
A special panel set up to study child safety online delivered
its report to the EU chief on Monday. The report said that when
it comes to safety, “the burden of proof needs to be on
providers, not regulators, parents and children.”
“Until they demonstrate that their services are safe by design,
social media and other digital services providers should have
restricted access to children under the age of 13 in the EU,”
said the report, which is likely to influence von der Leyen's
thinking.
It recommended that “further precautionary age restrictions”
should be considered by EU countries for children over 13.
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