"There's evidence between social media use and harms to the mental health and wellbeing of young people. While there can be benefits in social media use, the risk of harms may be increased for young people as they do not yet have the skills, experience or understanding to navigate complex social media environments."
Vice-President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen said on Friday that the EU executive branch is demanding information from US platforms Apple, Snapchat, Google, and YouTube over allegations of insufficient child protection. While the European Union has strict regulations governing online spaces, including limits on what children can access online, concern is growing that current measures are not enough to address the problem.
The new ordinance updates eligibility and licensing requirements and sets a new timeline for enforcement. Obligations for short-term rental (STR) platforms like Airbnb and VRBO such as requiring license numbers in listings and honoring delist notices, will now take effect July 1, 2026 - two months later than originally proposed. Other provisions, including licensing reforms and operator responsibilities, take effect Oct. 1, 2025.