EU tells countries to pause national social media bans for a year

What happened

The European Commission has told EU countries to put national social media bans for children on hold for 12 months. Government and policy Austria calls the freeze of its social media ban unacceptable and will have its law ready when the pause ends.

Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier announced the pause in Brussels on Thursday, as Eliza Gkritsi reported for Politico Europe .

“The Commission has decided to postpone for 12 months any draft national laws overlapping with the future harmonised rules.” “It is unacceptable for Brussels to block member states from enacting national laws without presenting a completed European solution of its own.”

Alexander Pröll, Austrian state secretary, to Politico Europe Why Austria was first EU countries must send draft technical laws to Brussels before they adopt them. It wants a single EU law instead.

Austria is the first country affected, and its plan to keep under-14s off social media is now frozen. Greece, which notified Brussels earlier, will likely keep its own.

Thomas Regnier, Commission spokesperson, to reporters Austria’s government objected. Austria sent its draft on 28 July, according to the Commission’s notification database .