EU Chief Warns of AI Hacking Risks and Proposes Social Media Limits

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has warned that advanced artificial intelligence (AI) could enable hacking at an unprecedented scale. Speaking during her State of the European Union 2026 address, she also detailed a new legislative push to protect children from the addictive nature of social media platforms.

Risks of AI-Powered Hacking

Von der Leyen noted that while AI has the potential to benefit humanity, the associated risks are becoming increasingly acute. She specifically highlighted the danger posed by self-improving models, citing the Hugging Face incident as an example of the potential for advanced models to fall into the hands of adversaries.

To manage these threats, the Commission emphasised the importance of the AI Act in establishing necessary guardrails. Von der Leyen argued that the goal is to ensure AI empowers humans rather than replacing them, using AI-supported mammography as an example of technology that assists doctors without removing human oversight.

Proposed ‘Kids Act’ and Social Media Restrictions

Addressing the impact of social media on younger generations, the Commission is moving to propose a new ‘Kids Act’. The move follows growing concerns over mental health issues, including anxiety, sleep deprivation, and the consequences of cyberbullying.

The proposed framework includes several age-specific protections:

• Under 13: A complete ban on social media access.
• Ages 13 to 15: Access restricted to ‘mini accounts’ that must be set up and supervised by parents or guardians, featuring limited functionality.
• Ages 15 to 18: The introduction of daily time restrictions, including a proposed one-hour limit for certain users.

Von der Leyen stated that the Commission intends to reverse the burden of proof, requiring social media platforms to prove their services are safe for minors rather than forcing regulators to prove they are harmful.

Addressing Addictive Design

The Commission also announced plans to propose a Digital Fairness Act in autumn. This legislation aims to target addictive design features that affect all users, not just minors, by addressing the ways platforms attempt to capture and hold user attention.