Strict rules are needed to ensure the safety of digital services like social media. However, until these services meet adequate safety standards, the Dutch government advocates for the introduction of a European minimum age. To develop a reliable, safe, and effective measure in collaboration with all Member States, minister Aerdts (Digital Economy and Sovereignty) has submitted proposals to the European Commission on behalf of the government, outlining the requirements for implementing such a minimum age. The Netherlands and Spain are jointly submitting the proposals to the European Commission.
Social media offer numerous benefits but also pose significant risks, such as addictive algorithms and harmful content. These risks must be addressed. Until these services are sufficiently safe, the Dutch government supports a European minimum age for social media. Introducing a minimum age involves age restrictions and verification processes that may impact freedom of expression, privacy, and the protection of personal data in some cases. This is precisely why the Netherlands and Spain are calling for privacy-preserving verification methods and for the European Commission to thoroughly assess in advance whether the proposed measures are necessary and proportionate.
Minister Aerdts (Digital Economy and Sovereignty): “We would not accept unsafe products for children in the physical world. The same stand should apply online. As long as social media platforms fail to adequately protect children from addictive design and harmful content, we need a minimum age. This should be regulated at the European level, so that children across Europe benefit from the same protection.”
Platforms Must Demonstrate That Their Services Are Safe for Children
Extending an age restriction beyond social media to other digital services would need to be carefully designed and clearly scoped, taking into account children's access to the internet and the practical impact of additional verification requirements. The Dutch and Spanish governments therefore propose a European framework for independently assessing whether social media platforms — and, where relevant, other digital services — are safe enough for children. Providers must demonstrate that their services meet safety standards. Platforms that can prove their services are safe may be exempted from the age restriction. The Dutch-designed Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (KIA) and the rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA) could serve as the foundation for such a European assessment framework.
Uniform Rules Across the European Union
The Dutch and Spanish governments advocates for a single set of rules applicable across the entire European Union. Digital services like social media are not bound by national borders. Introducing EU-wide rules creates certainty for regulators, businesses, and - most importantly - parents and children. The government therefore supports embedding the minimum age in an EU regulation, and limiting introducing national derogations as much as possible, with enforcement organised at the European level.
Age Verification with Respect for Privacy and Proportionality
To enforce a minimum age, it must be possible to verify a user’s age. Various methods exist for this purpose: through age verification, where users must prove they meet the minimum age requirement; through age estimation based on physical characteristics; or by relying on self-declared information. The guiding principle is that any method must be both effective and privacy friendly. For this reason, it currently considers age verification the most suitable approach for enforcing a European minimum age. To protect individuals’ privacy as much as possible, verification should only confirm whether a user has reached the age threshold, without processing any additional personal data.
Europe Must Develop Its Own Child-Safe Digital Services
The goal of the Dutch and Spanish governments are not to restrict access to digital services but to make them safe for everyone. Therefore, a minimum age should be part of a broader package, including European efforts to develop safe alternative digital services for children. Once these are available, enforcing a minimum age will become easier. Additionally, the government calls on the European Commission to prioritize the protection of minors in international discussions and collaborations with non-EU countries, ensuring that digital services are designed with global safety in mind and that age restrictions can be effectively enforced.