Social Media

European Commission Moves Us One Step Closer to the End of the Open Internet

It's coming faster than you might think.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 7.15.2026 12:00 PM

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(Illustration: Dts Nachrichtenagentur/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom)

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signaled that a European Union–wide identity verification scheme for social media users may be coming soon. It would mark a massive advancement of the privacy-invading, speech-squelching, open-internet killing juggernaut that seems sadly unstoppable in the Western world.

As per usual, the scheme is being billed by authorities as a common-sense way to protect children. "Social media is not a toy," von der Leyen said in a July 12 statement. "While ultimately it is up to parents to decide when children get their first smartphones, what we already have is a consensus that there needs to be a start date for the age children can join social media."

"It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms," von der Leyen continued, touting the European Commission's new age-verification app.

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In truly Orwellian fashion, von der Leyen claimed that "this is about putting power back into the hands of parents."

But of course, government-imposed bans on teens using social media do the exact opposite. They take decisions about age-appropriate internet usage out of the hands of parents and give it to regulators.

This is what Australia did last year, stipulating that no one under age 16 could have a social media account, regardless of whether their parents think it is OK. And despite report after report suggesting that Australia's ban is a flop—teens are easily getting around it—politicians in the U.S. and in the U.K. are rushing to emulate Australia. Now, it looks like the whole of the European Union could be next.

("In a few short years, the entire Western world might finally end the age of the open internet," notes Kelsey Piper at The Argument.)

"We need to set the age at which [minors] can legally access social media," said von der Leyen on Sunday. She promised to "present a proposal after the summer" that would focus on keeping minors off not just social media but all platforms that the government deems to have "age-inappropriate and addictive features"—a category she's calling "social media plus." (Shudders.)

As per usual, the rhetoric used to promote this scheme sounds so sweet and benign. Who could be against keeping kids off of "addictive" and "inappropriate" websites?

But the reality of implementing "social media plus" bans is that adults, teens, and children alike need to show ID or otherwise verify their real identities on every platform with which they interact.

From posting political commentary on X to asking potentially embarrassing health questions on Reddit, reviewing books on Goodreads, posting to a forum for LGBTQ young people, consuming TikTok content, subscribing........

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