The EU plans to ban children under 13 from using social media, some gaming platforms, and AI chatbots without parental supervision. The rules will be outlined in the Kids Act, as per a report from the Financial Times. The EU joins the list of nations moving to ban or strongly restrict social media use for kids under 15.
EU’s Kids Act could keep children off social media
The Kids Act will detail all the measures on Thursday. This follows pressure from several EU countries. France and Greece have long been among those calling on the EU to restrict children’s access to social media. “No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech on Wednesday. “Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not big tech.”
As per the draft proposal seen by the FT, children under 13 will be allowed access with parental supervision. Meanwhile, children between 13 and 15 will need parental consent to create accounts with parental controls. There will also be other restrictions like time limits.
Age verification and parental supervision
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU should not accept exposing children to increasingly extreme content. Social media companies, online gaming services, and AI chatbots will have to introduce safeguards to curb abuse and addictive behavior. AI companies and chatbot services will also have to avoid designs that encourage children to form unhealthy attachments or expose them to harmful interactions.
The companies need to verify users’ age with an official age verification app. However, failing to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue. The new restrictions would add to existing EU digital rules, including the AI Act and Digital Services Act. Despite US criticism, EU officials argue that concerns over addictive designs, weak age checks, and social media’s impact on children are growing worldwide.
They also cite Meta’s recent settlement with US states over claims of harm to children’s mental health.
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