ISTANBUL

The European Parliament on Wednesday proposed restricting social media access for children under 16 to strengthen online protection for minors.

During a plenary session, MEPs adopted a non-legislative report by 483 votes to 92, with 86 abstentions, calling for ambitious EU action to protect minors online.

They urged an “EU-wide minimum age of 16 and bans on the most harmful addictive practices,” according to a news release.

"To help parents manage their children’s digital presence and ensure age-appropriate online engagement, Parliament proposes a harmonised EU digital minimum age of 16 for access to social media, video-sharing platforms and AI companions, while allowing 13- to 16-year-olds access with parental consent," it explained.

MEPs also called for banning platforms that fail to comply with EU rules, taking action against persuasive technologies such as targeted advertising and influencer marketing, protecting minors from commercial exploitation, and urgently addressing the ethical and legal challenges posed by generative AI tools, including deepfakes and companionship chatbots.