EU demands ‘youth mode’ to protect children from addictive social media features

There should be a “youth mode” for children on social media platforms in which addictive features and targeted advertising are turned off, EU lawmakers demanded on Tuesday.The calls are growing louder for the European Union to ensure that social media platforms and others are designed to be safe before children use them.An expert report on Monday also recommended a “safety-by-design” approach in which platforms protect minors from possible harms posed by the apps.“The responsibility for the safety of children and adolescents must first and foremost lie with those who design and manage digital platforms,” EU lawmaker Sandro Ruotolo said in a statement.The addictive features that the EU has concerns over include infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and highly personalised recommender systems.The parliament’s culture committee also called for an “EU code of conduct” to regulate influencers and a common definition of “influencer marketing”.