The big picture: Ursula von der Leyen recently confirmed that the European Union will take a more active role in addressing social media addiction driven by algorithmic design. The German politician, currently serving as President of the European Commission, outlined the new plans during a recent European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children held in Denmark.
Von der Leyen stated that the EC – one of the European Union's highest governing bodies – is taking action against TikTok and Meta's social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The video-sharing platform and Meta's services are said to rely on engagement-driven features such as endless scrolling, auto-play, and push notifications, which can encourage excessive use.
Brussels is particularly concerned about the impact of these features on younger users, with von der Leyen accusing Meta of failing to enforce adequate age-verification measures.
These platforms are being investigated because they "allow children to go down 'rabbit holes' of harmful content - such as videos that promote eating disorders or self-harm," the EC president stated.
Furthermore, von der Leyen promoted the age-verification app that the European Union has been developing. The tool is said to offer world-class privacy standards and will soon be integrated into digital wallet platforms used by EU member states. This would add yet another eIDAS-based identity service to the growing ecosystem of government digital apps.
In any case, von der Leyen noted that Big Tech and other major online platforms will soon have fewer excuses to avoid proper age verification for younger users. The technology already exists, and the European Commission could have a new legal draft ready by the summer. Findings from the Special Panel of Experts on Child Safety Online will also be taken into consideration.
Brussels' new regulatory push is likely to further strain relations between Europe and the United States. The European Union is increasingly imposing restrictions on US-based tech companies, requiring major platforms and cloud providers to comply with local rules governing the handling of European users' sensitive data.
The European Commission has been targeting social media algorithms for some time, accusing platforms such as TikTok and Meta of failing to comply with the law. Age verification measures and social media restrictions for minors are becoming more common globally, although their effectiveness remains debated. Even in the US, where TikTok's new ownership has turned the app into a powerful location-tracking platform, Meta is expected to face a potentially significant ruling after losing a lawsuit in New Mexico.