Social media regulations for children in the EU will be decided after an expert group delivers a report next week, Ursula von der Leyen has said.
At a press conference in Cork on Friday, the president of the European Commission was asked about reports that the bloc could introduce a social media ban for young people from September, reports Breaking News.
Responding, she said she hoped the report, due to be presented to her on 13 July, would give a “comprehensive concept about social media delay for different age groups.”
The Special Panel on child safety was announced in September 2025 and is comprised of young people and experts, aiming to develop an EU-wide approach to keeping children safe online, reports Breaking News.
Ms von der Leyen said the European Commission will work with the report to develop a legal proposal.
“It is not a question of when children or teenagers would have access to social media,” she said, reports Breaking News.
It is more a question of when “social media has access to our children and teenagers.”
“That’s what we have to discuss, that’s what we are working on,” she added, reports Breaking News.
The press conference was part of a two-day series of events in Cork city to mark the start of Ireland’s six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, which began on 1 July.
It was held jointly between Ms von der Leyen and the Taoiseach, reports Breaking News.
While Micheál Martin did not comment on the issue at Friday’s event, he said last month that “momentum is building” in Europe for a ban on children’s social media use.
A ban on the use of social media by under-16s is due to come into effect in the UK by next spring, and similar measures were introduced in Australia in December last year, reports Breaking News.
Communications Minister Patrick O’Donovan also commented on a potential ban last month, saying that if during Ireland’s presidency he did not feel the EU was making “adequate progress,” he would bring forward proposals in Ireland.
If that were to happen, it would be “very embarrassing for the European institutions,” he said, reports Breaking News.
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