The European Commission has announced a 12-month delay for proposed national laws that overlap with its planned rules on children’s social media use. Instead of separate restrictions in individual countries, it wants a common EU law. Austria is the first country affected by the decision.
Austria’s proposal would ban children under 14 from using video-sharing platforms and require them to check users’ ages. The Austrian government objected to the pause, arguing that the Commission was blocking national action before completing its own solution. Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler said Austria would continue preparing its law so it could begin when the delay ends.
The Commission proposed the EU Kids Act in September. It would exclude children under 13 from most social media and restrict access for those under 15. A shared standard would prevent platforms from facing different age limits across the EU’s 27 countries.
However, the European Parliament and EU governments must still agree on the legislation, which may not take effect until 2028. Some governments are unwilling to wait. Denmark is continuing with its own law, while its digital minister, Christina Egelund, has stressed that the problems require urgent action.
