EU Proposes Kids Act to Ban Social Media for Under-13s

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the EU Kids Act during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg, proposing a bloc-wide regulatory framework to restrict minors' access to social media, AI chatbots, and online gaming. The legislation establishes a tiered access system: children under 13 are banned from social media, while those aged 13 to 14 may use parentally supervised mini accounts with a one-hour daily screen time limit. Independent accounts would only be permitted for users aged 15 and older.

The proposal shifts the burden of proof to technology companies, requiring them to demonstrate that their platforms are safe by design. It bans addictive features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and profiling-based recommender feeds. To enforce these rules, the Commission proposes a cryptographic age-verification app. Non-compliant platforms face fines of up to six percent of their global annual turnover.

The initiative follows pressure from member states, including France, where President Emmanuel Macron advocated for EU-wide harmonization after the French Constitutional Council struck down a national ban for under-15s on freedom-of-expression grounds. The move aligns with a global trend of tightening regulations, including a blanket ban for under-16s in Australia and recent legislation in California banning addictive features for minors.

Industry representatives, including CCIA Europe, have criticized the act, arguing that the large-scale collection of identity credentials for age verification would create attractive targets for cybercriminals. The proposal now awaits negotiation and adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.