AFP news agency,

congratulations to Olof

we will miss him.

I have a question about what

the President of France,

Emmanuel Macron,

has been saying about

a social media ban,

and he said that he would propose

a social media ban for children under 15.

He said that if no progress was made at the European level,

because he thinks it should be an EU wide

ban of some kind,

that France would go ahead unilaterally.

Now on Friday,

this subject was discussed

in Luxembourg by the ministers.

I was

Not super satisfied with the Commission's answer on what

work would be done with the Member States,

so I'd like to know,

considering how important this subject is,

with all the books and the rising concerns among

parents and aunties and all that kind of thing,

what

is the Commission going to do,

and I realize that this will be a subject that will be done with the Member States,

but

You can still elaborate on what will be done,

and I know there are investigations,

but in terms of a potential ban,

is this being discussed?

Let's see if Thomas manages to give you a more satisfactory reply.

Let's start from the beginning.

We of course take note of this announcement that

was made yesterday by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Now let's be clear,

and we have said it quite several times from the podium,

that

a new wide social media ban

is not what the Commission is doing.

It's not what we're heading to.

Why?

Because this is the prerogative of our member states.

This was clearly laid out in Article 8,

if I'm not mistaken,

of the GDPR,

which says that it's the competence of our Member States

to put and to set the digital majority between 13 and 16.

So of course Member states can go for that option.

Now it's very obvious that we share the same concerns

and those.

by EU Member States and parents because you're also referring to parents,

we take this very seriously also in light

of the very recent events that happened yesterday.

We want to make the digital space for our kids safe so that they can navigate there,

take all the benefits that come from digital,

but we also need to tackle and mitigate risks that come from it,

and that's where the DSA,

with the harmonizing effect comes into place and into

play because here our focus is on platforms.

Thank

you to ma.

I think Hay looks

more

satisfied.

That's good.

Good,

yes,

please.

yeah,

a new prayer from Euractiv,

follow up on this,

so under the GDPR,

if I'm not mistaken,

there's a,

call for digital majority age,

but

it would mean that,

under a certain

age there's a

data has to be processed under parental consent.

but,

you need parental consent for that,

what I feel is that President Macron has said a social media ban

that wouldn't entail consent but a ban

in general.

Can you just walk us through.

this a bit more,

and secondly,

under the DSA there would be

guidelines,

so this wouldn't be a regulation of some sort,

but guidelines.

can you also just walk us through that?

What would that mean?

What would the platforms be obliged to do?

Let's maybe start with uh

the second part of the question in the DSA in Article 28,

which is the article

in the DSA that protects kids.

So their safety,

their security,

when they go to uh online uh platforms,

online services,

not only social media platforms,

this also applies to e-commerce platforms,

etc.

So

what is this article saying that these platforms have to

assess all the risks that can stem from the services

and offer effective

Effective

mitigation measures and tools to protect our kids.

This can go also via age verification tools.

Now to make this article a little bit

clearer for everyone,

including for platforms,

we're indeed currently working on guidelines that will be

presented to the platforms to make sure that they have

clear guidance on which measures they can or not take

on their platform to be compliant with that article.

Now on a separate track.

replies to your first question on a separate track we're currently working

on an age verification tool because we as a public institution,

the commission,

we have a duty towards our citizens and towards our kids,

and this is why we're actively currently working with member states to

present you in the course of 2026 new wide age verification tool,

the so-called EID wallet with which you will be able to

remain and stay in full control of your data.

But authenticate and verify your age when you go on certain services,

and for this,

we know we cannot wait until 2026.

This is why together with five member states,

we will already next month in July,

present the pilot project of that age verification tool.

OK,

thank you,

Thomas,

Any

other questions on

this topic

or?

On

Topics covered by Thomas,

which

these days also include,

as said,

trade.

Yes.