EU bans social media for children under 13 — will North Macedonia follow? Experts: yes, it must

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her annual address to the European Parliament a decision to ban the use of social media for children under 13. Her announcement was met with strong approval from MEPs, who saw it as a necessary step to protect the new generation from the dangers of the digital world.

The new legislative package, known as the “EU Kids Act,” will be formally proposed by the European Commission and foresees three age categories with strict levels of protection: under 13 — complete closure of access to social media; 13–15 — only so-called “mini-profiles,” opened and controlled exclusively by parents, with limited functions and limited screen time during the day; 15–18 — platforms are required to embed safe design that excludes manipulative algorithms.

Brussels is shifting the burden of proof to the large tech platforms: they must demonstrate that they are safe. Functions that create addiction in children, extreme content, or the misuse of minors’ photos to generate sexual imagery with artificial intelligence will not be tolerated. Von der Leyen cited data showing that young Europeans spend 4–6 hours a day in front of screens, leading to sleep disorders, anxiety and self-harm; she also openly mentioned the case of 14-year-old Olea from Belgium, who took her own life a month ago as a victim of cyberbullying.

In North Macedonia, media (TV21) are asking the question: will Skopje introduce similar measures? Experts stress the need for the country to follow the European example in protecting children online. In the past, a citizen petition to ban social media for children up to the age of 12 was also discussed.

Source: TV21