The European Union has unveiled a sweeping legislative proposal, dubbed the "EU KIDS Act," aimed at enforcing strict age limits for children on social media and requiring tech companies to prove their platforms are safe before minors can use them. The draft law comes amid growing concerns over the impact of digital platforms on children's physical and mental wellbeing, with evidence showing minors are frequently targeted by predators, scammers, and online bullies with little protection.
The legal proposal follows an announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who stated the 27-nation bloc intends to ban children under 13 from social media and allow only supervised, limited access for those aged 13 and 14. With this draft law, Brussels is "reversing the burden of proof," von der Leyen said, adding, "Now they have to prove to us that they are safe."
Under the proposed tiered system, teenagers aged 15 and older will be permitted to set up standard social media accounts. Children aged 13 and 14 will only be allowed to access "mini accounts" through a parent or guardian's profile. These restricted accounts will feature strict safeguards, including a daily screen time limit of one hour. This structure is designed to put parents in the "driving seat," allowing them to manage video-sharing apps and restrict access to other online services and time spent online.
To combat addictive behaviors, the legislation would ban features like endless scrolling and push notifications during hours when children should be sleeping. It also prohibits profiling-based recommendation feeds that steer minors toward harmful content, reward-type mechanisms, and unsolicited contact from strangers.
Additionally, the draft law targets AI companions and chatbots, banning them from simulating interpersonal relationships that could foster emotional dependency. This provision follows a series of suicides worldwide linked to child interactions with AI assistants. Under the rules, children's profiles must be private by default, with their location, camera, and microphone deactivated, and easy options must be provided to block or mute other users.
To ensure compliance, tech platforms will be required to submit a compliance plan to the European Commission—the EU's digital watchdog—and an independent auditor. If the auditor is unsatisfied, the commission can demand corrective measures. The EU can also launch investigations to be completed within 90 days, with violations carrying fines of up to six percent of a company's annual global turnover, matching penalties in the existing Digital Services Act.
To enforce these rules, the EU is preparing an age-check app, though platforms may use alternative age assurance tools instead. Once passed, the EU KIDS Act will become fully applicable across Europe, superseding any national laws with different age limits or rules. The proposal now goes to negotiations between the European Parliament and member states, a process that could take several months, though the commission has called for swift adoption due to the urgent demand for action.
