European Commission orders Austria to pause social-media age ban for 12 months

The European Commission told Austria on Thursday to halt adoption of its proposed social-media ban for minors for 12 months, citing the need for a uniform EU-wide standard under the bloc's pending Kids Act.

Austria had asked the Commission in July to assess whether its draft law — which would bar under-14s from social media — was compatible with EU law. A response deadline lapsed Thursday, and the Commission instructed Vienna to pause the measure. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Brussels had decided to postpone for 12 months any draft national laws overlapping with the future harmonised rules.

The reaction from Vienna was immediate. Austrian State Secretary Alexander Pröll said it was "unacceptable for Brussels to block member states" from enacting national laws without presenting a completed European solution of its own. Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Media Affairs Andreas Babler said he had "no sympathy" for the delay and confirmed Austria would continue preparing its legislation so it could be implemented the moment the standstill expires.

The Commission proposed the Kids Act in September. It would bar children under 13 from most social-media platforms and severely restrict access for those under 15, while also imposing safety-by-design obligations on platforms, including video games and AI companions.

Greece, which passed its own under-15 law before the EU proposal was tabled, is likely to keep it. Regnier declined to comment on specific countries beyond Austria, noting there were "nuances" related to the timing of Athens's submission to the Commission.