Key facts
- The European Commission will propose the EU KIDS Act on Thursday.
- The act will set a minimum age of 15 for social media, video sharing, AI chatbots, and online games.
- Children aged 13-14 can ask parents to open introductory accounts with parental controls.
- Accounts for children aged 3-12 will be fully parent-controlled and limited to child-friendly services.
- Companies must avoid addictive designs and harmful feeds, and provide tools for reporting harmful content.
- Companies will pay a supervisory fee to fund regulators' enforcement and supervision.
The European Union is set to propose the EU KIDS Act, a comprehensive legislative package aimed at protecting children from online dangers. The proposal, which will be presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, will establish a minimum age of 15 for accessing social media, video sharing platforms, AI chatbots, and online games. The act will also mandate that online products be designed with safety as a core principle, avoiding addictive features and harmful content feeds, and providing effective parental control tools.
Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 14 could have introductory accounts with parental consent, limited contacts, and strict time limits. Those aged 3 to 12 would have fully parent-controlled accounts for child-friendly services, while children under three would have no access. Companies will be required to verify users' ages and will have to pay a supervisory fee to fund regulatory enforcement, mirroring the structures of the Digital Services Act and the AI Act. The initiative comes amid growing global concerns about the impact of digital services on children's health and safety, with political leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron advocating for stricter protections.