Children's access to the internet and digital services is a major concern in Europe. In recent months, Meta has publicly expressed its support for establishing a common digital age of majority for all European Union countries. This proposal, which has gained momentum during Denmark's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, seeks to establish clear limits requiring minors to obtain parental consent before accessing social networks or other online platforms.
The issue is not new, but it has gained prominence due to increasing pressure from governments such as those of Spain and France, which, along with other nations, have called for stronger measures to protect minors in the digital environment. Meta agrees on the need to implement effective age verification mechanisms , although it maintains that the restriction should not be limited to social media , but rather extended to all types of applications: from messaging platforms and video games to streaming services and web browsing.
A global approach that includes parents, governments and technology companies
Meta emphasizes the importance of parents having the authority to decide which apps their children can use . According to a study conducted by Morning Consult for the company, 75% of European parents support requiring parental consent for minors to download apps.
Furthermore, Meta points out that the responsibility for verifying age should fall on app stores and operating systems — such as Apple and Google — as this would facilitate establishing centralized control that covers all digital services, thus simplifying the task of parents and preventing teenagers from resorting to less safe alternatives outside of regulatory control.
In Spain, the new law for the protection of minors in digital environments moves in this direction, promoting the integration of parental controls into all devices. However, nuances remain in the debate: while most European countries propose setting the digital age of majority at 16, Spain and Italy opt to align it with the legal age of 18.
Teenage accounts and protection experiences
Meta has launched tools such as teen accounts on Instagram , which allow parents to monitor their children's online activity. Currently, 54 million of these accounts with parental controls have been registered , and a key finding is that 94% of young people voluntarily maintain the protection until they reach the age of digital majority.
Meta's position is clear: parental control must be fundamental to any regulatory initiative, as government bans are ineffective and could limit families' decision-making power, in addition to not covering the full range of platforms and services used by minors.
The company believes that reliable age verification across all online services is essential, preferably at the level of app stores or operating systems, with the collaboration of major technology companies.
Perspectives from other companies and the European context
Google, which manages both the app store and the operating systems, maintains that responsibility should be shared between stores, developers, and families. It recently rolled out new tools in the European Union to securely verify age, such as Credential Manager technology, which prioritizes privacy and protection when identifying minors.
Although the approaches differ, the European trend points towards joint regulation : establishing a clear digital age of majority, centralized verifications and a greater role for parents and guardians in deciding their children's online access.
Excessive use of devices by children continues to be a cause for concern. Recent studies indicate that 42% of children in Spain use mobile phones before the age of eight , and in general, they access the internet from a very young age. Furthermore, more than half of children show symptoms of anxiety or irritability when their screen time is limited, reinforcing the need for effective solutions.
Intensive use increases with age, with 93% of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 spending at least an hour a day on digital leisure activities. According to the First Observatory of Digital Habits in Minors, prepared by SaveFamily, more than 50% of parents believe that technology has significant emotional effects on their children.
Spanish families support measures such as restricting mobile phone use in schools, limiting children's access to social media, and strengthening parental controls . Scientific evidence and public concern reinforce the importance of establishing regulations that protect their digital well-being.
Progress in the European dialogue suggests that a digital adulthood in Meta could be established soon, promoting a model based on collaboration between governments, technology companies and families to ensure a safe, healthy and age-appropriate online environment for minors.