EUROPEAN Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in her State of the European Union speech on 16 September 2026 that developing AI models could enable hacking “on a level we never thought possible”. She said such systems would soon be available to adversaries and also highlighted the growing danger of self-improving models, citing the Hugging Face incident as an example.
Von der Leyen argued that regulation should control these risks without blocking beneficial uses, and said the EU AI Act would provide important safeguards. She also announced that an EU Quality Jobs Act would be delivered before the end of 2026.
Von der Leyen also proposed measures aimed at reducing the risks social media poses to children. She said young Europeans spend four to six hours a day on screens and linked platform design to loss of sleep, anxiety, self-harm and cyberbullying. Her proposed Kids Act would ban social media for under-13s, prohibit personal accounts for under-15s, and allow 13- to 15-year-olds only supervised “mini accounts” with limited features.
For users aged 15 to 18, it would impose a one-hour daily time restriction, while platforms would have to meet mandatory safe-design requirements. She said the EU would “reverse the burden of proof”, requiring platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe for children. A broader Digital Fairness Act addressing addictive design and related harms is expected in autumn.