EU Commission proposes EU KIDS Act to regulate minor access to social media

EU KIDS Act social media regulation child online safety digital services age verification

The European Commission has introduced the ‘EU KIDS Act’, a legislative proposal designed to enhance the protection of minors in the digital space. The initiative establishes a tiered approach to social media and digital service access based on age. Under the proposal, children under 13 would be prohibited from having social media accounts. Those aged 13 to 14 would use supervised ‘mini accounts’ managed by parents or guardians, with usage limited to one hour per day. At age 15, users could manage their own accounts, though profiles would be private by default.

The regulation extends beyond social networks to include video-sharing platforms, online games, and AI-driven chatbots or companions. It mandates ‘safety by design’ principles, requiring platforms to disable addictive features such as infinite scrolling, certain reward mechanisms, and push notifications during sleep hours. Additionally, the act aims to ban profiling-based recommendation feeds for minors.

To implement these rules, the Commission proposes an open-source age verification system that protects privacy by not storing personal identity or biometric data. The proposal shifts the burden of proof to technology companies, requiring them to demonstrate that their services are safe for children. Non-compliance could result in significant financial penalties of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover. The proposal now moves to the European Parliament and EU member states for further deliberation.

Entities

Carlo Verdelli · Digital Services Act · EU Kids Act · European Commission · European Parliament · European Union · KommAustria · Ursula von der Leyen

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 11 SOURCES] Users aged 15 and older can manage their own accounts, though profiles must be private by default. dziennik-polityczny.com · www.politicargentina.com · studentski.hr · ihal.it · www.berliner-zeitung.de · +5 more
[● 14 SOURCES] The European Commission proposed the EU Kids Act to protect minors from inappropriate content on social media and video services. dziennik-polityczny.com · www.elperiodico.digital · www.politicargentina.com · studentski.hr · unimedia.info · +8 more
[● 11 SOURCES] The act aims to ban profiling-based recommendation feeds and addictive features like infinite scrolling for minors. studentski.hr · ihal.it · dziennik-polityczny.com · www.berliner-zeitung.de · enallaxnews.gr · +5 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The regulation shifts the burden of proof to tech platforms to demonstrate their services are safe by design. www.politicargentina.com · enallaxnews.gr · ihal.it · www.businessdaily.gr
[● 14 SOURCES] Children aged 13 to 14 would use supervised accounts managed by parents, with usage limited to one hour per day. dziennik-polityczny.com · studentski.hr · unimedia.info · ihal.it · www.politicargentina.com · +8 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Failure to comply with the rules could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual turnover. unimedia.info · enallaxnews.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] The proposal bans social media accounts for children under the age of 13. dziennik-polityczny.com · www.politicargentina.com · studentski.hr · unimedia.info · ihal.it · +9 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The EU proposes using an open-source age verification application that does not store personal identity or biometric data. dziennik-polityczny.com · unimedia.info · www.elperiodico.digital · trn.mk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Non-compliance with the rules could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual turnover. unimedia.info