Key facts
- The European Commission proposed banning social media for children under 13.
- Children aged 13-15 would be limited to one hour daily via supervised "mini accounts".
- Platforms face fines of up to 6% of global annual sales for non-compliance.
- The EU Kids Act requires agreement from the European Parliament and 27 EU member states.
- Age will be verified with certified solutions independent of platforms, including a planned European Digital Identity Wallet.
- AI companions and chatbots must be turned off by default for users under 18.
The European Commission has proposed new legislation, the EU Kids Act, to restrict social media access for minors across its member states. The plan includes a ban on social media for children under 13, and for those aged 13 to 15, access would be limited to one hour per day via "mini accounts" requiring parental consent and supervision. Age verification will be conducted using certified solutions independent of platforms, including a planned European Digital Identity Wallet. Platforms with 45 million or more active monthly users in the EU will have to present compliance plans before coming into contact with children. The Act also sets obligations for social media, video sharing, online games, AI companions, and chatbots for users below 18, including bans on addictive features, profiling-based recommender feeds, and personalized ads. AI companions and chatbots must be turned off by default, and profiles for children must be private by default with geolocation, camera, and microphone access turned off. The provisions are designed to replace a patchwork of different rules in separate EU countries with the same level of protection across the bloc. France had previously pushed for an EU-wide ban for under-15s after its Constitutional Court struck down a national bill, citing infringement on freedom of expression.