The European Commission has urged EU member states to suspend plans for national social media bans targeting children for 12 months while it works towards introducing a unified EU-wide law.
Austria is the first country affected by the move, with its proposal to restrict social media access for children under 14 now on hold.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier announced the decision in Brussels on Thursday, according to a report by Politico Europe.
“The Commission has decided to postpone for 12 months any draft national laws overlapping with the future harmonised rules.,” Regnier stated.
However, Austria’s government objected.
“It is unacceptable for Brussels to block member states from enacting national laws without presenting a completed European solution of its own.” Alexander Pröll, Austrian state secretary, told Politico.
EU member states are required to submit draft technical legislation to Brussels for review before adopting it. Austria submitted its proposal on 28 July, according to the European Commission’s notification database.
The draft sets a minimum age of 14 for accessing video-sharing platforms and requires age-verification checks.
Austria’s Vice-Chancellor, Andreas Babler, expressed frustration over the delay, telling Politico Europe he had “no sympathy” for the decision.
He said Vienna would continue working on the legislation to ensure the ban takes effect as soon as the 12-month suspension ends.
Other EU countries face different circumstances. Greece, for instance, passed legislation last week banning children under 15 from using social media.
Athens submitted its law to Brussels before the EU-wide proposal was introduced and is therefore likely to retain the measure.
The European Commission has asked France to revise its draft legislation but is not expected to block it, AFP reported, as Paris also submitted its proposal early. France’s Constitutional Council had struck down the country’s first proposed social media ban in August. Meanwhile, draft legislation from other countries, including Italy, remains under review.
One law for 27 countries
The Commission proposed the EU Kids Act in September, seeking to prohibit children under 13 from accessing most social media platforms and restrict access for those under 15.
Brussels wants to establish a common age limit across the bloc to prevent digital platforms from having to comply with 27 different national requirements.
The Commission is also concerned that member states could lose interest in the EU-wide legislation once they have implemented their own national restrictions.
