EU Proposes Under-13 Social Media Ban, Caps 13-15s at 1-Hour Mini Accounts
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Sep 22
EU Proposes Under-13 Social Media Ban, Caps 13-15s at 1-Hour Mini Accounts
3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Sep 22
Summary
The European Commission’s proposed Kids Act would bar personal social media accounts for children under 13 and require parent-managed “mini accounts” for ages 13-15 with contact limits and up to one hour of daily screen time.
The draft also targets platform design: infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, profiling-based recommenders and stranger contact would be blocked for minors, while games, app stores and AI chatbots must prove they are “safe by design.”
Within 6 months of the rules taking effect, providers would have to verify whether existing users are under 15 using EU-approved age-check systems and deactivate accounts if age cannot be confirmed; breaches could draw fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
The Commission argues the overhaul is needed because early social media use correlates with heavier screen time—7.5 weekend hours for children who started before age 10 versus 5.7 after 14—and because 33% of minors report feeling stressed or sad.
The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and Council as 23 of 27 EU states pursue their own child-access laws, underscoring Brussels’ push to avoid a fragmented rulebook.
Can social media giants survive in Europe if the EU Kids Act outlaws the addictive features that drive their massive profits?
Will the EU's radical new age-verification system protect children, or accidentally create a massive privacy nightmare for all digital citizens?
How will regulators stop tech-savvy teenagers from bypassing the strict new digital identity wallets designed to lock them out of online platforms?
The EU Kids Act 2026: Europe’s Landmark Plan to Ban Under-15s from Social Media and AI—Scope, Technology, Global Impact, and Controversy
Overview
The EU Kids Act, proposed in September 2026, aims to protect minors from online harms by introducing strict age-based rules for social media and digital platforms. This move responds to a growing youth mental health crisis linked to addictive platform features and fragmented national laws across Europe. The Act mandates safety-by-design principles, bans addictive elements, and requires privacy-preserving age verification. However, enforcing these rules is challenging, as children often find ways to bypass restrictions. The proposal has sparked debate over privacy, freedom of expression, and the risk of creating a surveillance system, while still needing approval from EU lawmakers.