European social media bans for minors and decentralized social networks, Digi Mart USA News: A coalition of more than 150 organizations has announced its intention to create European alternatives to the social networks of major digital companies, a movement supported by Brussels. The coalition presents itself as an alternative to attempts by some governments to bar children from existing platforms, an approach that is facing difficulties in the courts.
This week, Australia defended in its High Court its world-first ban on accounts for users under 16. Reddit and the rights group Digital Freedom Project argue that it violates an implied constitutional freedom of political communication.
Five million accounts have been closed since December, but ministers acknowledge that the measure has not been as effective as hoped, with many children managing to circumvent age checks.
France has already lost a similar battle. In August, its Constitutional Council struck down most of the ban targeting users under 15, ruling that the measure was too broad and lacked safeguards for age verification, to which every user, including adults, would have been subject.
President Emmanuel Macron has asked the government to draft a more targeted version.
Even so, European governments are moving ahead. Greece plans a ban for under-15s starting January 2027, and Denmark from July 2027.
Spain is debating a limit set at 16, and the United Kingdom is expected to introduce its ban next year. In September, the European Commission presented its Kids Act, which would prohibit under-13s from holding social media accounts and limit access for 13- and 14-year-olds.
A “welcomed” path of construction in Brussels: On Wednesday, a different approach took shape in Berlin. The European Social Association, backed by more than 150 organizations including Mastodon, was launched to coordinate open and decentralized social networks controlled by Europeans themselves.
“Europe needs an open, interoperable social infrastructure, driven by communities, that reflects its democratic values and serves the public interest,” said co-organizers Michael Foster and Björn Staschen.
The idea is receiving some support in Brussels. The European Commission’s Open Source strategy, published in June, cites decentralized social networks as one of four areas in which it will support European alternatives, alongside cloud services, work tools and secure email.
“We of course welcome the development of European social media platforms,” Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Euronews Next. “The Open Source strategy aims to develop sovereign solutions, reduce technological dependencies and strengthen open source alternatives in areas such as cloud, AI, internet technologies, cybersecurity and semiconductors.” Regnier added that the Commission’s mission is to support start-ups and business accelerators, but he did not detail specific funding or projects for social networks.
Caught in the net? The two approaches could collide.
Australia’s ban names 10 major commercial platforms, from TikTok to YouTube. The French law, ultimately struck down, went much further, covering any service that allows users to connect or share content.
That definition could also have captured networks run by communities such as Mastodon.
The Commission says its Kids Act avoids the overly broad scope of the French law. Encyclopedias, educational platforms and digital news media are exempt, and content viewable without an account will remain accessible.
“All online services will have to prove that they are safe for minors,” Regnier said. “We are reversing the burden of proof.”
Under the proposal, children under 13 would have no social media accounts. Parents could create limited “mini-accounts” for 13- and 14-year-olds, with full accounts available from age 15.
The Commission has not specified whether the rules would apply to decentralized networks in the same way as to large platforms.
Age verification is another obstacle. Tech giants can finance verification systems, but volunteer-run services could struggle.
The EU is developing a free, privacy-preserving age verification app, which the Commission plans to launch by year-end.
Common ground: Both sides increasingly agree that the problem lies in the design of the platforms themselves, not only in their users. Beyond its age thresholds, the Kids Act targets addictive features such as infinite scrolling, reward mechanisms and late-night notifications.
Platforms that break the rules risk fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover. This week, a Dutch lawmaker also proposed banning “addictive and harmful design features.”
Whether Europe bans, builds or combines both approaches, the platforms themselves appear set to change.
