Pakistan, Oct. 30 -- The European Commission has told Austria to put its proposed social-media ban for children under 14 on ice for a year. Brussels wants a common European law rather than a patchwork of national restrictions. Its proposed KIDS Act would bar accounts for under-13s and restrict access for those below 15. Whether this makes much sense to parents who have spent years watching social-media companies set their own rules is another matter.

The industry has enjoyed a remarkably convenient arrangement. Platforms have perfected endless scrolling, notifications that keep drawing users back and recommendations calculated to hold their attention. It goes without saying that the parents are then left to pick up the pieces. In April, ...