The European Commission plans a four-stage framework that would restrict accounts for very young children, require parental consent and controls for early teens, and impose safer design rules for older teenagers.
Under draft 'EU Kids Act' measures, children under 15 could not open social media accounts without a parent or guardian's express permission.
A tiered approach is proposed: bans or child-only versions for very young children, supervised 'mini' accounts with screen‑time limits for 13–15-year-olds, and 'safe by design' requirements for 15–18-year-olds.
The proposals will be presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her state of the union speech and detailed with Vice‑President Henna Virkkunen.
Commission is preparing a package of draft rules aimed at limiting how children and teenagers access social media, online games, video-sharing platforms and AI chat services. The proposals are expected to be presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her annual state of the union address and further explained with Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice-president responsible for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.
The draft plan, reported under the working title "EU Kids Act," uses a four-stage, age-based approach:
The draft describes these measures as tools to delay or block early exposure to mainstream social media and to require platform changes for older teenagers.
The draft is already provoking debate. Questions include whether a single age threshold is legally enforceable across the EU and how platforms would verify ages in practice. France has previously experienced legal disputes over strict age limits, and reports show age-based measures do not automatically stop underage access in practice. Enforcement tools discussed in related reporting include obligations for platforms to make services "safe by design" and potential financial penalties for non-compliance.
What would change for children, parents and platforms
Parents: For 13–15-year-olds the draft would formalise parental consent, introduce parental monitoring rights, and require screen‑time controls on accounts set up for teens.
Children and teens: Very young children would be steered to child-only versions. Older teens (15–18) would have access only where platforms adopt safety-by-design features.
Platforms and tech companies: They would face requirements to prove safety standards for teenage users and to adapt product features to meet design obligations aimed at reducing harms attributed to addictive elements.
The Commission will unveil the draft measures in the state of the union address and provide more detail in a subsequent presentation. Member states, EU institutions and platform operators will then move into the legislative and negotiation phases that determine the final shape and the enforcement mechanisms of any new law.
The European Union is set to propose curbing access to social media, video-sharing platforms, chatbots and online games to children under the age of 15, according to a draft legal document seen by AFP. A proposed new law – to be formally presented on Thursday – would mean banning minors under 15 from opening their own
Under the plans, only children over 15 would be able to set up their own social media accounts.
The EU is planning to restrict access to social media for under-15s, with a law to "enhance the online safety of children" on its way.
The European Commission has proposed banning children under the age of 13 from accessing social media as part of new plans aimed at protecting young people online.
The European Commission has proposed a ban on social media access for under 13s, with "safe design" obligations for platforms for users between the ages of 15 and 18.
The European Union will propose a ban restricting under 15s from social media, video sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games, in the most sweeping plan yet to protect children from online dangers, a European Commission document has shown.
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