Europe, explained simply.
Understanding Europe shouldn’t be complicated. LensEU was created to make European affairs clearer, more accessible, and more relevant to everyday life. By connecting what happens in Brussels to what people experience locally, it helps audiences see why European decisions matter.
Many countries. One shared story.
LensEU brings together perspectives from across Europe. Instead of a single national viewpoint, each story reflects how the same issue plays out in different countries. The result: a clearer, more complete understanding of Europe as a whole.
Content designed for everyday use.
Every week, lensEU delivers a podcast and a newsletter that make complex European topics easy to follow. Short enough to fit into daily routines, yet rich enough to provide real insight, these formats combine clarity, storytelling and reliable journalism.
Every Tuesday, a new podcast brings together voices from across Europe to explore the issues shaping the European Union.
Podcast 17, October 20: Europe’s race to protect kids from social media
Should a 12-year-old be allowed to open an Instagram account? The European Commission doesn’t think so. In her State of the Union address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU Kids Act: a ban on social media accounts under 13, and no independent account without parental consent under 15. It isn’t law yet — but across Europe, governments aren’t waiting to see how it turns out.
In episode 17 of LensEU, host Anna Wallner talks to EU editor Anna Gabriel about how von der Leyen’s proposal came together, how it’s being received in Brussels and across the tech industry, and about Austria’s own plan for a national age limit of 14 — due to take effect on 1 January 2027, years before the EU rule, even though it will eventually have to give way to it. Then, three partner newsrooms report from the ground: OKO.press on Poland’s push to go further and faster than Brussels, driven partly by a string of school knife attacks; CORRECTIV on Germany’s still-open debate, where young people say their own voices are barely heard; and TV Net on Latvia, where a push for stricter rules has quietly lost momentum since the election. Four countries, four very different answers to the same question.
Every Friday, a newsletter explores the topic discussed in the podcast in greater depth and breadth.
Newsletter 17, October 23: Europe’s race to protect kids from social media