EU proposes Kids Act banning social media for under-13s and capping teen use at an hour a day

Strasbourg – The European Commission has proposed a draft of the EU KIDS Act to prevent children under 13 from using social media across the EU and to stop anyone under 15 from creating an account.

The EU KIDS Act, adopted in Strasbourg on Thursday, also requires platforms to show that their services are safe for minors, rather than requiring regulators to prove they are unsafe.

Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their wellbeing in mind. Our KIDS Act is reversing the burden of proof – it is for platforms to show they are safe by design.

And we put parents back in the driving seat, giving them the tools to help their children navigate a safer online world, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The KIDS Act in short

• From age 3 to 12, children should not have access to social media; they may use only child-friendly video services through a parent-controlled account, with total usage limited to 1 hour per day.
• At ages 13 and 14, access to social media was restricted to a ‘mini account’ managed by a parent, with only a limited number of contacts and usage capped at 1 hour per day.
• Children can open their own accounts from the age of 15.
• For people under 18, there is no infinite scroll, no reward tricks, no nighttime notifications, no tracking-based feed, and no messages from strangers. Profiles are private by default, and the location, camera, and microphone are turned off.
• AI chatbots are switched off by default for minors and are not permitted to create an emotional dependency.
• Age checks are required for apps and app stores, for example, when new accounts are created.
• When it comes to big platforms, they are required to present a safety plan to the Commission and to an independent auditor before launching new features.
• The fines can reach 6% of the company’s worldwide annual revenue.
• It is a proposal; it must be agreed upon by both the European Parliament and the member states before it can become law, and a start date has not yet been established.

Many laws rely on confirming users’ ages; thus, online services and app stores will need to use age-assurance tools, such as the Commission’s age-verification app. Social media and video platforms must check ages when new accounts are created.

For existing accounts, providers will estimate ages using details such as the account setup date or credit card information. According to the Commission’s Q&A, they must check within six months of the rules taking effect whether account holders are under 15.

The largest platforms would handle the most online traffic. Whenever a new service or feature is launched, a compliance plan must be sent to both the Commission and an independent auditor. The Commission could also require changes if needed.

Fast-track investigations must finish within 90 days, and fines could reach 6% of a company’s global annual revenue. The Commission would directly supervise the largest platforms and AI chatbots, while national authorities would oversee other services, such as video games.

The proposal addresses an issue that remained unresolved on Monday, when there was a split between 13 capitals supported by the Commission’s expert panel and the 15 capitals France wanted.

The draft law is based on a report from a special panel of more than 60 experts set up by von der Leyen in March. The Commission also cites a Eurobarometer survey showing that 92 percent of Europeans see stronger online protection for children as a top priority.

What comes next? The proposal is now being sent to the European Parliament and the member states, all of which need to agree on a final version before it becomes law. The Commission wants it adopted quickly, but Parliament has previously called for a limit of 16, and some governments, such as Estonia, do not support age-based bans at all.