Ministers called on Friday to explore whether additional measures are needed to complement existing rules.
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EU ministers on Friday pledged to increase their efforts to protect children online, but they did not follow Denmark’s plan to ban social media for children younger than 15.
The Danish Jutland Declaration, drafted by the Nordic country as it chairs EU ministers' meetings during the second half of 2025, was signed by 25 member states — minus Estonia and Belgium — during the informal meeting of national telecom ministers on Friday.
The ministers said they will explore whether further measures are needed to complement existing EU rules since they state minors are increasingly at risk of being exposed to illegal, harmful, and extremist content, and “require stronger and more targeted protection.”
A 2024 WHO study found that problematic use of social media among adolescents increased from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. More than one in 10 adolescents (11%) showed signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences, the study says.
One tool to mitigate the negative impact of illegal and age-inappropriate content is effective age verification. The upcoming Digital Fairness Act, which the Commission will present rules for early next year, could incorporate these tools.
“In the offline world, age checks are standard for age-restricted goods and services. So, it is reasonable to expect similar safeguards online, where the risks — especially for minors — are significant and well-documented," the declaration said.
"Without proper and trustworthy age verification, it is difficult to prevent for example social media from targeting minors with content and features designed for adults, putting their wellbeing at risk,” it added.
Existing rules such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU-wide rulebook that requires online platforms to combat illegal content online and increase transparency about their content moderation, might not be sufficient, the declaration claims.
Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen told journalists that “the most important is to have rules in place, the Digital Fairness Act is the quickest way now to get to action. The rules should however not overlap with others.”
Denmark's under-15 social media ban in the works
Earlier this week, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the country plans to introduce a ban on social media for children under age 15 in a bid to “better protect children and young people in a digital reality where many experience declining well-being and increasing addiction to social media.”
In the EU, children must be at least 13 to set up social media accounts, but Frederiksen cited data showing that 94% of Danish children had social media before that age.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month that the EU executive has set up an expert panel to report back on how children in the EU could be restricted from use of social media, considering Australia's actions in this field, where teenagers under the age of 16 cannot use social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The ministers of Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Cyprus told journalists ahead of the meeting that they support the Danish efforts but that their countries will not introduce bans.
“We don’t want a ban, but we do want to protect the youngest children from the downside of technology,” German State Secretary Thomas Jazombek said.
Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou said there are different factors to consider.
“What would you do with children aged below 12? There is a more mature age of 12 to 15. I don’t believe that this could be just one single category of age verification," Papastergiou stated.
Platforms also queried
On Friday, the Commission also requested online platforms Snapchat, YouTube, Apple and Google to provide more information on their age verification systems as part of its efforts under the DSA.
The Commission said it wants to know what they do to prevent minors from accessing illegal products, including drugs or vapes, or harmful material, such as content promoting eating disorders.
The DSA entered into force in 2023 and since then, the Commission has opened ten investigations into platforms, including X, TikTok and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram for different suspected breaches varying from election integrity and recommender systems.
The proceedings are still ongoing, and none of the probes have been wrapped up yet.
