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Global trends in social media regulation for minors

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2026-10-23 22:22 UTC → 2026-10-25 17:31 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The European Commission has formally introduced the ‘EU Kids Act’, a legislative proposal targeting social media, online games, and AI chatbots. The Act proposes a tiered access model: a total ban for children under 13, supervised ‘mini-accounts’ for those aged 13 to 14, and private-by-default accounts for those 15 and older. To ensure compliance, the Commission suggests an open-source age verification system and may impose fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. National legislative efforts are accelerating. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has proposed targeting specific features like automatic video playback and nighttime notifications. The UK plans to implement a ban for under-16s in Spring 2027. In Spain, the Congress is debating an organic law that would ban social media for children under 16 unless they have parental ~~consent. This proposal includes criminal penalties~~ consent, potentially holding executives liable for ~~platforms that use~~ algorithms to that amplify harmful ~~content, such as material inciting self-harm or hate speech, potentially holding executives liable.~~ content. In Greece, the Parliament has approved a law prohibiting social media access for minors under 15, effective January 1, 2027. ~~The legislation, proposed~~ Proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government, the legislation aims to mitigate mental health risks and the effects of ‘infinite scrolling’ on sleep and concentration. Platforms must implement reliable age-verification systems that protect privacy by only transmitting necessary age-eligibility data. While the government suggested tools like the ‘Gov.gr Wallet’ or ‘Kids Wallet’, their use is not mandatory. The bill passed with support from the New Democracy party, though the PASOK party abstained after proposing an alternative age-graded system, and other parties like SYRIZA and KKE voted against it. ~~Additionally, Zoi Konstantopoulou of the Plevesi Eleftherias party criticized~~ Following the ~~move, alleging it is~~ passage, Mitsotakis stated that platforms have two and a ~~politically motivated attempt~~ half months to ~~restrict youth rights. Other nations are also moving toward restrictions.~~ develop privacy-protecting verification methods. Critics have noted that enforcement may be difficult due to the accessibility of tools like VPNs.

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