Von der Leyen Proposes Under-13 Social Media Ban, Deeper EU-Canada Ties in State of the Union Address
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her annual address in Strasbourg to call for restricting young children's access to social media and to float closer relations with Canada, including a proposed 'associate member' status.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg on Wednesday, according to France 24, outlining a series of proposals for the bloc's near-term policy agenda.
Among the measures presented, von der Leyen proposed banning children under the age of 13 from accessing social media platforms, online games and chatbots, France 24 reported. The proposal would, if adopted, require changes to how digital platforms verify and restrict access for younger users across the European Union.
Von der Leyen also proposed strengthening ties between the European Union and Canada, according to the report, suggesting that Canada be granted "associate member" status. Details on what such a status would entail in practice were not specified in the available reporting.
The State of the Union address is an annual speech delivered by the president of the European Commission to the European Parliament, typically used to set out the Commission's priorities and legislative proposals for the coming year.
Further specifics of both proposals, including timelines for implementation or the legislative process required to advance them, were not detailed in the available source material.
Sources
- REPLAY - Ursula von der Leyen: Full State of the Union address — France 24 — English
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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