The European Union is preparing a robust legislative response to combat the “addictive designs” of social media platforms like TikTok, Meta, and X, as announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday. Speaking in Copenhagen, von der Leyen highlighted a surge in digital risks—including depression, cyberbullying, and sleep deprivation—arguing that these issues are the deliberate outcome of business models that commodify the attention of minors.
To address these concerns, the Commission plans to introduce the Digital Fairness Act (DFA) later this year. This regulation will specifically target harmful design elements such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and intrusive push notifications. Furthermore, the DFA is expected to impose strict limitations on the integration of artificial intelligence within social media environments.
Beyond design restrictions, the EU is considering a landmark proposal for a minimum age for social media access. Von der Leyen indicated that a formal recommendation could arrive as early as this summer, framed by the philosophy that the central issue is “whether social media should have access to young people.”
These upcoming rules will build upon the existing Digital Services Act (DSA), under which the Commission is already investigating several tech giants. Specifically, Meta is under scrutiny for failing to enforce its own age requirements, while X is facing proceedings regarding the use of its “Grok” AI tool in the creation of harmful sexual imagery. While the Commission intensifies its oversight, spokespeople for the major platforms have yet to issue official responses to these latest developments.
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