The proposal reaches far beyond social networks, targeting addictive design, artificial intelligence tools and the way platforms verify young users.
The European Commission has officially presented the EU KIDS Act – a bill aimed at improving children’s safety online. The document provides for banning social media use by children under 13. It must now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
As reported by babel.ua.
The proposed rules envisage different restrictions depending on a child’s age. Users aged 13 to 15 would be given special accounts under parental supervision. These profiles would have limited functionality, particularly regarding contacts and the duration of service use – no more than one hour per day.
Children aged 3 to 13 would only be able to use dedicated children’s video services through their parents’ accounts. Access would also be limited to one hour per day.
The requirements would apply not only to social networks. They would also cover video platforms, online games, artificial intelligence companions, and chatbots.
Which features platforms may be banned from offering
The European Commission proposes restricting features that may foster addiction in children or encourage them to spend more time on services. These include:
Minors’ profiles should be private by default. Geolocation, the camera, and the microphone should also be disabled unless the user or their parents give consent otherwise.
Artificial intelligence companions and chatbots for minors would be disabled by default. In addition, they would not be allowed to imitate human relationships in a way that could cause emotional dependence in a child.
Age verification and platform responsibility
Online services and app stores would be required to verify users’ ages. The European Commission also proposes changing the approach to the liability of large platforms.
Under the proposal, large online services would have to demonstrate, before launching new features, that their products are safe for children. This would increase companies’ responsibility for potential risks to minors.
How other countries are restricting children’s access to social media
In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media use by children under 16. The authorities explained the decision by citing risks to minors’ physical and mental health.
Spain also plans to ban social media for children under 16. Ireland has begun testing a digital wallet with an age-verification feature designed to restrict teenagers’ access to such platforms. Greece has announced that it will ban children under 15 from accessing social media starting in 2027.
In July, the European Union announced plans to restrict social media access for children under 13. It was proposed that they would only be allowed to use the platforms for a limited time and under adult supervision.
On July 14, the European Commission called on Meta to change the design of the Instagram and Facebook social networks because it may contribute to addiction. If the requirements are not met, the company could face fines for violating the rules.
In February, the European Commission published a similar finding regarding TikTok. It stated that the platform targets young users and uses a design capable of fostering addiction.
Following the bill’s presentation, its provisions must be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Only after this procedure is completed will it become clear whether the proposed restrictions will become pan-European rules.
