EU Kids Act sets social media age limit at 15 for independent accounts

The European Commission unveiled the EU Kids Act on Monday, a sweeping new law that would bar children under 13 from opening social‑media accounts across the bloc. The proposal, drafted in Brussels, sets 15 as the minimum age for independent accounts and requires parental oversight for 13‑ and 14‑year‑olds. If adopted, the act would apply to all member states and would be enforced through the Digital Services Act framework.

The move comes amid mounting evidence that social‑media use can harm developing brains and mental health. Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission’s president, said the evidence is clear and that parents see the negative effects daily. The act reverses the burden of proof on tech companies, holding them accountable for content that can damage children’s well‑being. It also aims to protect children from addictive design features that keep them scrolling for hours.

Under the act, kids under 13 could only use “child‑friendly” video‑sharing services run by a guardian. These services must limit screen time to one hour a day and give parents control over what their child sees. For 13‑ and 14‑year‑olds, parents can set up supervised sub‑accounts on age‑appropriate platforms, again capped at one hour and restricted social contact. The law would force platforms to remove recommendation algorithms that create “rabbit holes,” block infinite scroll and nighttime notifications, and disable AI chatbots that could foster emotional dependency.

The act also tackles age verification, a challenge already seen in Australia. Platforms would need to confirm age when a new account opens, using “reasonable proxies” such as credit‑card details, and must not store identity documents or biometric data. Companies would submit compliance plans, and enforcement would follow existing Digital Services Act rules, with penalties up to six percent of global turnover and a fast‑track 90‑day procedure. The Commission urged swift adoption to meet urgent public demand for protective action.