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EU Commission proposes EU KIDS Act to regulate social media and AI for minors
The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, a legislative framework designed to enhance online protections for minors. The proposal introduces a tiered age structure for digital services. Children under 13 are prohibited from using social media, though they may access age-appropriate video content through parental supervision. Adolescents aged 13 to 14 are permitted limited accounts with parental consent, restricted to a maximum of one hour of daily screen time. Full personal accounts are permitted for those aged 15 and older.
A central component of the act is the default deactivation of AI chatbots and companions for users under 18 to prevent emotional dependency. The regulations also target addictive design patterns, banning features such as infinite scrolling, push notifications during sleep hours, and automated reward mechanisms. To ensure compliance, the proposal mandates the use of secure, anonymous age-verification tools.
Failure to comply with these regulations could result in significant financial penalties, reaching up to 6% of a company's annual global turnover. While several nations support the measure, some member states have expressed opposition to broad social media bans. Ethicists have also weighed in, with some calling for a higher age threshold of 16 to better protect developing minds from the addictive nature of digital platforms.
Entities
EU Kids Act · European Commission · European Parliament · European Union · Peter G. Kirchschläger · Ursula von der Leyen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] AI chatbots and companions must be turned off by default for users under 18. ictnews.ir · www.ifun.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The European Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act to regulate minors' access to social media and AI services. ictnews.ir · www.mesazhi.com · www.ifun.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Children under 13 are prohibited from using social media and may only access age-appropriate video services via parental supervision. ictnews.ir · www.mesazhi.com · www.ifun.de
- [DISPUTED] Adolescents aged 13 to 14 may use limited accounts under parental supervision with a maximum of one hour of screen time per day. ictnews.ir · www.ifun.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Ethicist Peter G. Kirchschläger argues that the proposed age limit of 13 is too low and suggests a limit of 16 years. religion.orf.at
- [● 3 SOURCES] Addictive features such as infinite scrolling, reward mechanisms, and nighttime notifications are prohibited. ictnews.ir · www.mesazhi.com · www.ifun.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] Violations of the regulations could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's annual global turnover. ictnews.ir · www.mesazhi.com