The European Commission is set to introduce new rules that would require digital platforms, including social media, gaming, messaging, and AI services, to prove they are safe for children. This initiative aims to protect youth from mental harm, addiction, and exposure to inappropriate content by establishing a minimum age of 13 for service access with stricter oversight.
- EU to require platforms to prove child safety before access
- Minimum age set at 13, with allowed member state flexibility upward
- Expanded scope includes gaming, messaging, AI companions, not just social media
What happened
The European Commission’s Special Panel on Child Safety Online delivered a key report outlining new recommendations for regulating digital platforms accessible to children. The report calls for platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe before children can use them, encompassing not only traditional social media but also gaming platforms, messaging apps, and AI-driven companions.
These recommendations arrive alongside initial findings that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram violated the Digital Services Act by employing addictive design features. The panel, featuring experts and stakeholders across academia, government, and international organizations, proposes a minimum age limit of 13 years for access to these services, with some exceptions for parental oversight and educational purposes.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a significant shift by placing the responsibility on digital platforms to prove their safety, reversing the current regulatory burden which typically requires authorities to demonstrate harm. The move addresses ongoing concerns about children’s mental health, addiction to digital platforms, and exposure to content that may be age-inappropriate.
Expanding the regulatory scope to include emerging digital services such as AI companions signals recognition of new risks, including children placing undue trust in artificial conversational agents. Harmonizing the minimum age requirement across EU states aims to preserve the integrity of the digital single market while ensuring consistent protection standards, avoiding the patchwork of national laws that increase compliance complexity.
What to watch next
The European Commission plans to propose formal legislation based on the panel’s report after the summer of 2026. Key points to monitor include how member states will implement or adjust the minimum age threshold and respond to the harmonized framework aimed at avoiding market fragmentation.
The final legislative approach will also reflect negotiations over the balance between platform responsibility and parental control, as well as refined definitions of what constitutes ‘safe’ digital services for children. Further scrutiny of major platforms for compliance with the Digital Services Act and related new rules will be crucial as the EU intensifies efforts to safeguard its younger population online.