EU to unveil child social media 'delay' plans Wednesday

Brussels, Belgium: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday she will reveal next week how the European Union plans to shield children from social media dangers with a "delay" on when they can access the platforms.

"We do not have to accept addictive social media design," von der Leyen said in a video posted on X to tease the plans, to be spelled out in her annual keynote speech to the EU parliament on Wednesday.

"We do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content," said the European Commission president. "We do not have to accept that girls and women have their photos used for AI-generated images."

"Europe has the power to act. So let's define clear rules on how to structure social media delay for Europe," she said.

Von der Leyen has been weighing up bringing in EU-wide social media limits for children under 13 -- which an expert panel has recommended -- or a blanket ban under 15, which France in particular is pushing for.

A European source told AFP that von der Leyen is considering a ban on children under 15 with flexibility for minors aged between 13 and 15 if a parent allows access -- but warned that could yet change with several days to go.

European Commission officials have been tight-lipped on the details and von der Leyen will be liaising intensively within the bloc's executive on the final shape of any social media curbs.

There have been concerns about legal challenges to any EU moves after a top court struck down France's plans to ban social media for under-15s on freedom of expression grounds in August.

It is not clear when the commission will publish the legal proposal that will form the foundation for any social media "delay".