EU plans sweeping new limits on social media for minors
According to documents reviewed by Politico and Reuters, the EU is preparing sweeping new rules that limit how children and teenagers use social media, gaming platforms, and AI chatbots. The European Commission is expected to formally introduce the act, called the EU Kids Act, on Thursday.
- Under the proposed rules, access to social media and video-sharing platforms like Instagram (META), TikTok, and YouTube (GOOGL) would be restricted for children under 15. The rules use an age tier and would become less restrictive as children get older:
- Under age 3: Blocked from high-risk online services altogether.
- Ages 3–12: Parents could create fully controlled accounts for child-friendly services that meet strict safety requirements.
- Ages 13–14: Able to access social media with restricted accounts created by their parents, with limits on contacts and usage time.
- Ages 15–17: Allowed to have their own accounts, though platforms would still be required to provide additional safety protections.
- Additionally, the platforms would be required to rethink features that are designed to keep kids engaged, such as infinite scroll and artificial notifications. Algorithms would also face new restrictions to help prevent children from being repeatedly pushed toward similar content.
- The proposal is also intended to reach beyond traditional social media platforms, covering video games and AI chatbots when those services pose risks to children. Educational products and similar services would, however, be exempt.
- Tech companies would be responsible for verifying users' ages, though the proposal does mention implementing an EU-wide age-verification system or other approved, country-specific methods.
- If implemented, the new rules would give the EU much greater oversight of major tech platforms. Specifically, according to Euronews, major online services already subject to the EU's stricter Digital Services Act could be required to obtain approval before introducing new features that affect minors. Tech companies would also pay supervisory fees to help fund enforcement.
- The push for EU-wide rules comes as at least 10 countries — including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands — consider or pursue their own restrictions, raising concerns that Europe could otherwise end up with a patchwork of different requirements.
- As mentioned above, the act is expected to be introduced on Thursday. It may still undergo changes and would need approval from EU governments and the European Parliament before it would become law.