The European Commission has unveiled landmark regulatory proposals to ban children under 13 from holding social media accounts while enforcing strict, supervised access for users aged 13 and 14, marking Brussels’ most aggressive crackdown yet on youth digital safety and online risk exposure.
The European Commission unveiled the plan under its EU KIDS Act, arguing that voluntary safeguards have not done enough to protect children from addictive design, bullying, harmful content and unwanted contact.
Children aged 15 and above would be allowed to open and manage their own accounts. Platforms would still have to provide stronger default protections for every user under 18.
“Too many children are being exposed too early to an online world they are not ready to navigate,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
She described an environment where bullying follows children home and mistakes can remain online indefinitely.
Parents would control mini accounts
Under the proposal, children aged 13 and 14 could access social media through restricted “mini accounts” linked to a parent or guardian.
Those accounts would operate for no more than one hour a day and carry limited features.
The rules would extend beyond TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Video-sharing services, online games, AI companions and chatbots used by minors would also fall within the legislation.
Platforms would have to make children’s profiles private by default, restrict contact from strangers and provide simple blocking and muting tools.
Features associated with excessive use, including infinite scrolling, reward tricks and late-night push notifications, would face limits.
AI chatbots would be disabled by default for minors and prohibited from using techniques designed to make children emotionally dependent on them.
Platforms face heavier responsibility
The proposal shifts more responsibility onto technology companies.
Large platforms would have to prove that their services are safe by design and submit detailed child-safety plans. Companies found in breach could face fines of up to 6% of their worldwide annual revenue.
“An age limit does not mean letting tech companies off the hook for the content on the platform,” von der Leyen said.
She argued that the law would “put parents back in the driving seat” while requiring companies to remove toxic or addictive features.
Age checks would be conducted through approved tools, including the EU’s age-verification application. The Commission says the system can confirm age without retaining identity documents or biometric data.
Privacy campaigners and technology groups remain uneasy. They fear mandatory age checks could lead to the collection of more personal information or duplicate obligations already imposed under existing EU digital laws.
Proposal still faces political test
The KIDS Act is not yet law. It must be negotiated and approved by the European Parliament and the governments of the EU’s 27 member states.
The final rules may change during those talks.
Enforcement presents another difficulty. Australia’s under-16 restrictions have struggled to remove every young user from social media, showing how easily determined teenagers can bypass age controls.
France also encountered legal resistance when its highest court blocked an under-15 ban on freedom-of-expression grounds.
The Commission wants one binding EU framework instead of separate national rules. Whether governments, lawmakers and technology companies accept its approach will be the next fight.
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