EU Expands Child Safety Rules For Social Media Platforms

European Regulatory Initiatives

The European Union is preparing new measures aimed at limiting “addictive design” features used by major social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram. Speaking at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children in Denmark, Ursula von der Leyen said regulators are focusing on features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay and push notifications, which have increasingly come under scrutiny over their impact on children and teenagers. The planned measures form part of a broader European effort to strengthen protections for minors online.

Innovative Age Verification Technologies

Alongside the proposed restrictions, the EU is also developing a new age-verification application designed to strengthen access controls for younger users. Von der Leyen described the technology as meeting some of the world’s highest privacy standards and said it is expected to integrate into digital wallets across EU member states. The system is intended to help online platforms enforce age-related restrictions more consistently across the bloc.

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Global Implications And U.S. Scrutiny

The EU’s tougher regulatory approach mirrors similar discussions taking place internationally. Australia has already introduced broad social media restrictions for users under 16, while governments in Spain, France and the United Kingdom are also considering additional child safety measures. In the United States, technology companies, including Apple, Meta and Google, continue facing growing political and legal scrutiny over the design of digital platforms used by teenagers.

Legal Landscape And Future Prospects

Recent U.S. court rulings have drawn attention to the potential effects of features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling on teenage behaviour and mental health. At the same time, investigations under the EU’s Digital Services Act have examined age-verification practices across major social media platforms, including services operated by Meta. European regulators are expected to introduce additional legal proposals as early as this summer, potentially expanding oversight of platform design and child safety requirements across the region.

Outlook

The growing regulatory pressure reflects broader international efforts to balance digital innovation with stronger protections for younger users online. As governments and technology companies continue negotiating new rules around platform design, child safety is becoming an increasingly central issue in global tech regulation.

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Keve Welcomes New Cyprus Business Development Organisation

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 17, 2026

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) has welcomed Parliament’s unanimous approval of legislation establishing the Cyprus Business Development Organisation, describing it as a major step toward improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, startups and self-employed professionals.

Expanding Access To Finance

The legislation creates a new public body aimed at addressing financing gaps by supporting businesses that struggle to secure funding through traditional channels.

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According to Keve, the initiative could strengthen entrepreneurship, boost competitiveness and support Cyprus’ green and digital transition. The chamber has long argued that SMEs rely too heavily on bank financing, limiting investment, expansion and innovation.

Keve Calls For Swift Implementation

Keve said it helped shape the legislation through the consultation process and called for the organisation to become operational as quickly as possible. It also pledged to continue working with the Finance Ministry and the organisation’s management to support implementation.

How The Organisation Will Operate

Approved by Parliament on Tuesday, the legislation establishes Cyprus’ national business development body under the supervision of the Finance Minister, while the Central Bank of Cyprus will oversee anti-money laundering compliance.

The organisation will design financing programmes, provide loans and conduct studies to identify weaknesses in the financing market.

Cyprus will provide €60 million in initial capital. Over time, the body will also be able to raise funding from European and international institutions and benefit from state guarantees linked to approved strategic priorities.

Recovery Plan Milestone

Creation of the organisation is one of the final milestones under Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan and is required for the country to receive the plan’s ninth and final payment. Appointment of the board of directors remains the last outstanding step.

Before approving the bill, the Finance Ministry revised the draft following consultations with MPs and stakeholders. The changes removed provisions allowing the organisation to establish companies and narrowed the list of eligible beneficiaries by excluding small mid-cap companies.

Lawmakers also strengthened governance rules by introducing stricter board suitability requirements, conflict-of-interest safeguards, enhanced reporting obligations and borrowing limits. A seven-member board appointed by the Cabinet will oversee the organisation, while a transitional board will serve for two years until it becomes fully operational.

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