The proposed EU Kids Act would introduce a European Union-wide ban on personal social media accounts for children under 13 and impose strict parental controls for teenagers between 13 and 15.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen presented the proposal on September 17.
The legislation would apply beyond traditional social media platforms, covering video-sharing services, online games, app stores, AI companions and chatbots.
It must still be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before becoming law.
EU Kids Act Creates Three Age Categories
Children between the ages of 3 and 13 would not be permitted to create personal social media accounts.
They could use platforms only through accounts managed by a parent or guardian and would be limited to age-appropriate content.
Teenagers between 13 and 15 could use restricted “mini accounts” established with parental approval. Those accounts would include limits on social contacts and allow parents to restrict daily screen time to one hour.
Features designed to encourage prolonged use—including infinite scrolling, autoplay and push notifications—would be restricted for young users.
Users between 15 and 18 would receive broader access but would remain covered by safety protections for minors.
The proposal would also ban profiling-based recommendation feeds for children and require platforms to prevent strangers from contacting young users.
Online Services Must Be “Safe by Design”
The EU Kids Act would require technology companies to demonstrate that their services are safe for children before minors begin using them.
The European Commission wants to replace the current mix of different national protections with a single rulebook applying across the bloc.
The proposal follows a July 2026 report from the Special Panel on Child Safety Online, which recommended restrictions on children’s access to social media.
A 2026 Eurobarometer survey found that children who began using social media before age 10 reported spending 7.5 hours on screens during weekends. Those who started after age 14 reported 5.7 hours.
Teenagers between 13 and 18 spent an average of 4.5 hours on screens during weekdays and 6.1 hours on weekends.
Supporters argue that addictive design features, recommendation systems and advertising-based business models can harm children’s physical and mental health.
Critics in countries including the Czech Republic and Estonia have warned that broad restrictions and mandatory age checks could limit digital freedom and create privacy risks.
France and Denmark are among the strongest supporters of stricter rules, while Greece, Spain and Austria have also backed greater protection for children online.
Enforcement would follow the framework of the Digital Services Act, with the European Commission directly supervising major online platforms.
