EU Proposes New “Kids Act” to Restrict Social Media Access for Children, Strengthen Online Protection

EU Proposes New “Kids Act” to Restrict Social Media Access for Children, Strengthen Online Protection
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The European Commission has proposed new regulations aimed at protecting children from potential harms associated with social media platforms and other digital services, including stricter age limits and parental controls for younger users.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposed “EU Kids Act”, which would prevent children under the age of 13 from having independent social media accounts. Teenagers aged 13 to 15 would only be allowed to use certain platforms through parent-supervised accounts with limited features.

The proposal is part of a broader EU effort to address concerns over children’s online safety, including exposure to harmful content, addictive platform designs, algorithm-driven recommendations and risks linked to artificial intelligence-based services. The rules would also introduce obligations for social media platforms, video-sharing services, online games and AI chatbots designed for younger users.

Under the proposed framework, companies would be required to implement stronger age-verification systems and child-safety measures. Platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.