Spain, Greece, and France Push for Unified Age Verification and Social Media Age Limits

Spain, Greece, and France are jointly urging the European Commission to accelerate the creation of an EU-wide age verification system and to set a minimum age for social media access. According to a policy document intended for debate at the June meeting of EU digital ministers, the three countries argue that inadequately designed digital services are contributing to health problems among minors, who are exposed to inappropriate and comparative online content.

The policy paper calls for swift legislative action to restrict access to addictive and dubious content for young users, while enhancing parental controls over social media and adult sites. The European Commission is already developing an EU-wide age verification application as an interim measure until the EU Digital Wallet is launched at the end of 2026. However, Spain, Greece, and France are pushing for this app to include robust parental control features and the ability to limit minors’ use of certain applications.

A key proposal is to establish a “digital-age majority” for social networks, setting a minimum age below which minors would be barred from accessing such platforms. France and Greece support a ban for users under 15, while Spain prefers to keep the age open for EU-level discussion. Meanwhile, each country is advancing its own national solutions, with Spain and France mandating age verification for adult sites and Greece introducing a “Kids Wallet” for age checks.

The Commission recently released draft guidelines under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to better protect minors, urging platforms to apply age assurance measures. Spain, Greece, and France want their positions reflected when the Commission finalizes these guidelines by summer’s end. The policy paper will be a central topic at the 5 June Telecom Council meeting.