Bogdan Ivan announces a bill that would ban children under 14 from accessing social media, without exceptions

Former Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan announced Monday in a Facebook post that he is preparing, together with several Social Democrats, a bill to restrict minors’ access to social media. The initiative is being presented in the context of the incident in Bistrița, where a teacher and a student were allegedly stabbed by a minor.

The bill would ban children under 14 from accessing social media platforms, without exceptions, while accounts could be created only after age verification using an identity document. For minors aged between 14 and 18, access would be allowed only with parental consent and mandatory parental-control mechanisms.

Another measure would ban unsolicited private messages sent by adults to minors. Platforms would be expected to have clear prevention and intervention obligations, as well as comply with rules on data protection and age verification.

Bogdan Ivan says the initiative is also supported and being discussed together with Daniel Suciu, Cristi Nicula and other lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation. He says the bill is not intended to introduce censorship, but to increase platform accountability and protect children. The Social Democrat added that, if necessary, relevant European legislation could also be amended.