Photo Credit: Robin Worrall
The European Union is set to propose a strict ban on social media, video sharing platforms, AI chatbots, and online games for kids under 15.
The European Union will propose a ban restricting kids under 15 from accessing social media, video sharing platforms such as YouTube, AI chatbots, and even online games, in the broadest-reaching proposal yet to attempt to protect kids from online predators. Companies would be required to pay a supervisory fee to fund regulators’ enforcement and continued supervision.
Young people 15 and older would still be able to set up their own accounts under the proposal, while children between 13 and 14 can ask parents to open introductory accounts for social media and video-sharing platforms under parental control—with limited contacts and strict time limits.
Accounts for children aged between 3 and 12 would be fully controlled by parents and would only be eligible for child-friendly services with strict safety standards, according to the proposal documents. Children under 3 would have no access to any services.
Social media and video-sharing platforms would be required to verify children’s ages when a user opens a new account, while online game platforms would have to verify children’s ages before they can download games. Many companies say they already take precautions for minors and set a minimum age of at least 13 to sign up for social media platforms.
Notably, details of the proposal may still change ahead of the announcement. The Commission will still need to iron out the draft with EU countries and the European Parliament in the months ahead before it can become law.
According to Reuters, the draft outlines requirements for companies that include avoiding addictive designs, harmful feeds, and other dark patterns.
“The Union’s approach should allow minors to benefit from the huge potential of digital services, while protecting them from abuse and exploitation. It needs to limit the access of tech companies to our children, and not the other way around,” the document reads.
The proposal is part of an overarching EU Kids Act that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen will present on Thursday. President von der Leyen may also announce some details during her State of the Union address on upcoming EU policy on Wednesday.
