The European Union is actively developing regulations that will significantly restrict existing social media business models. The primary goal is to protect children and young people from harmful content and manipulative algorithms. This was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her speech in Copenhagen.
“We see how the algorithms of social platforms, designed to maximise attention retention, often damage the mental health of young people. This is unacceptable. The European Union intends to change the rules of the game,” von der Leyen stated.
According to the European Commission President, the new regulatory measures will be aimed at:
Restricting the use of engagement-based recommendation algorithms for underage users;
Tightening age verification requirements;
Banning certain types of targeted advertising directed at children and teenagers;
Making “safety modes” mandatory by default for accounts of users under 18.
The package of new initiatives is expected to serve as a logical extension of the existing Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Commission emphasises that the goal is not to ban social networks, but to compel them to restructure their business models so that profits are not achieved at the expense of exploiting children’s vulnerability.
Representatives of technology companies have so far refrained from official comment; however, sources in Brussels note that discussions with major platforms — Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and others — are already underway at a high level.
The new regulations are planned to be presented within the coming months. Their adoption will require approval from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.