- The proposed EU KIDS Act bans social media for children under 13 and requires parental supervision for users aged 13 to 15.
- New regulations would limit screen time, ban infinite scrolling, and disable location tracking and camera access by default for minors.
- The rules cover video platforms, games, and AI companions, prohibiting features that create emotional dependency in young users.
- Large platforms must implement age-verification systems or face fines of up to 6 percent of their annual global turnover.
Brussels: The European Commission on Thursday proposed new rules that would restrict children's access to social media, including a ban for children under 13 and a minimum age of 15 for opening an independent social media account.
The proposal, known as the EU KIDS Act, would apply across the European Union and is aimed at giving parents more control over how children use social media and other online services.
Under the proposed rules, children under 13 would not be allowed to use social media. Those between 13 and 15 could use limited accounts only with the involvement of a parent or guardian. The accounts could have restrictions on who the child can communicate with and could limit daily screen time to one hour.
The rules would cover more than social media. Video-sharing platforms, online games, AI companions and chatbots used by children would also be required to take steps to protect young users.
The Commission is seeking restrictions on features that can encourage children to spend more time online, including infinite scrolling, some reward systems and push notifications during sleeping hours.
Children's profiles would be private by default. Location tracking, camera and microphone access would also be turned off by default.
The proposal includes specific rules for AI companions and chatbots. These services would be disabled by default for minors and would not be allowed to imitate personal relationships in ways that could encourage children to become emotionally dependent on them.
Age checks proposed
The Commission also wants online services and app stores to introduce systems for checking users' ages.
It said its EU age-verification app could allow people to prove their age without requiring companies to keep copies of identity documents or biometric information.
The proposal would also place greater responsibility on the EU's largest online platforms. Very large platforms would have to show that their services are safe for children and submit plans for meeting the requirements to independent auditors before introducing certain services or features.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the proposal would give parents greater control and require online platforms to make child safety part of their services from the outset.
Wider debate over children's social media use
The European proposal comes as governments in several parts of the world are considering how to limit children's exposure to social media and other online services.
The debate has raised questions about the appropriate age for children to use social media, the role of parents and technology companies, and how age restrictions can be enforced without collecting unnecessary personal information.
Supporters of tighter controls have pointed to concerns about excessive screen time, harmful content and features designed to keep users online. Critics of strict age-verification systems have raised concerns about privacy and the collection of personal data.
The EU proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. It would need their approval before becoming law.
Enforcement would rely on existing EU digital rules, including the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act. Companies found to have violated the rules could face fines of up to 6 percent of their total worldwide annual turnover.
The proposal, if approved, would establish common rules across the EU for children's use of social media and several other online services. It could also add to the international discussion over how governments should regulate children's access to digital platforms.
