BRUSSELS — The European Commission has announced plans to introduce the EU Kids Act, a landmark legislative framework aimed at establishing an EU-wide minimum age restriction for social media platforms and digital services.
Unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the proposal places structural compliance and strict age-verification mandates directly on technology platforms to curb addictive design features and exposure to harmful content.
Key Policy Highlights
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Tiered Age Restrictions: Children under 13 will be strictly barred from social media platforms, while those aged 13 and 14 will be restricted to supervised “mini accounts” with capped usage times and restricted features. Standard users aged 15 to 18 will receive enhanced platform safety defaults.
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Expanded Service Scope: The regulatory framework extends beyond traditional social networks to encompass online gaming ecosystems, video-sharing platforms, and consumer AI chatbots.
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Compliance & Statutory Process: Tech companies will be legally required to implement robust age-verification technology. The legislation now enters formal negotiations and review before the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states.
