MEP Giuseppe Antoci (The Left) has asked the European Commission to take action against the aggressive promotion of adult skincare products to children on social media, warning that the practice fuels unrealistic beauty standards and poses dermatological risks. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 8 April 2026, Antoci highlighted the spread of such marketing across Italy and other Member States, often using child content creators and micro-influencers to target young girls and pre-teens.
The question references the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the Digital Services Act, and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive as relevant legal frameworks. Antoci asks the Commission three specific questions: whether it will introduce binding EU guidelines or harmonised rules to protect minors from aggressive cosmetics marketing on social media; whether it sees a need to strengthen enforcement of the DSA and consumer law against platforms amplifying such content; and whether it will promote digital education and body image literacy initiatives with Member States to prevent and monitor early-age aesthetic pressure.
The question contains concrete asks for regulatory and educational measures, signalling a push for stronger EU-level intervention. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it plans to propose new rules or rely on existing legislation to address the issue. The move follows a recent Italian competition authority case (PS13110) against a company using child influencers to promote adult skincare products, which Antoci cites as a precedent.
Stakeholders impacted include children and adolescents (psychological and dermatological risks), EU regulators (need for enforcement or new rules), social media platforms and digital marketplaces (compliance costs), and cosmetics companies using influencer marketing (potential restrictions on advertising practices).
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