The European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen is preparing to introduce sweeping regulations that will restrict social media and digital platform access for children under 15, including mandatory age verification and design changes to limit harmful content.
- Ban on under-15s creating digital accounts across major platforms
- Mandatory age verification and platform design modifications
- Enforcement funded by supervisory fees paid by online service providers
What happened
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to announce new legislation targeting children’s access to social media, AI chatbots, online gaming, and video-sharing platforms across the EU. This initiative follows growing concerns about the safety and well-being of minors in digital spaces and responses from various EU member states considering similar restrictions at the national level.
The core of the proposed EU Kids Act involves prohibiting children under 15 from independently opening accounts on these platforms, with differentiated rules allowing parent-controlled accounts for younger children and full access starting from age 15. Additional measures include mandatory age verification checks to enforce these age limits and design changes aimed at reducing addictive features and harmful content exposure for minors.
Why it matters
The initiative addresses a significant gap in the current EU digital framework, which does not specify minimum age standards for accessing online platforms with potentially harmful content. By creating a harmonized regulation at the EU level, Brussels intends to prevent a patchwork of conflicting national rules that could complicate compliance for digital service providers and reduce protections for children.
This move places the EU alongside jurisdictions like Australia, the UK, and certain US states, which have introduced or proposed similar restrictions. It also reflects a broader global concern regarding children’s digital safety amid the rise of AI-driven platforms and the increasing prevalence of online risks such as addiction, misinformation, and privacy violations.
What to watch next
Stakeholders will also closely monitor enforcement mechanisms, including the proposed supervisory fees charged to digital operators, and how these rules will align with the EU’s existing Digital Services Act. The effectiveness of the regulation in balancing child protection with fundamental rights such as information access will be critical to its acceptance and success.