Europe's EU Kids Act would ban social media access for children under 13

Overview of the Proposal

The EU Kids Act is the most sweeping proposal yet to limit minors' access to social media platforms. Introduced by the European Commission, the law would ban social media for children under 13 and require parental supervision for ages 13 and 14. Only when a child turns 15 would they be able to create their own social media accounts.

"Today, there is a robust body of evidence on the harm that social media does to a developing brain and personality, and too well parents see the effects of this," said EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen.

"To be very clear, an age limit does not mean letting tech companies off the hook for the content of the platform. Platforms have been playing fast and loose with our children's mental health. Now we are reversing the burden of proof."

Account Age Restrictions

Child-friendly services for under-13s must include safeguards such as limited screen time (up to one hour per day) and provide adults an easy way to control what their children see.

Parental Supervision and Mini Accounts

For children under 13, the proposal allows the use of "specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services through accounts managed by their guardian." These "mini accounts" must be designed with specific safeguards, including limited social contact and one hour per day of screen time.

For ages 13 and 14, parents may establish sub-accounts that grant supervised access to age-appropriate platforms. These sub-accounts also incorporate safeguards like limited social interaction and one hour per day of screen time.

Platform Requirements

The EU Kids Act imposes several mandatory restrictions on social media platforms:

• Addictive features must be removed, including:
  • Recommendation algorithms that "drag minors into 'rabbit holes' of harmful contact"
  • Infinite scroll
  • Nighttime push notifications
  • Unsolicited contact from strangers
• AI chatbots must be disabled by default and cannot be used to create emotional dependency
• Age verification is required when opening a new account, using "reasonable proxies" like credit card details to estimate age
• All apps must employ age-assurance tools that do not retain identity documents or biometric data (e.g., the new EU age verification app)

Platforms must submit compliance plans, with enforcement leveraging existing structures under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).

Enforcement and Penalties

Penalties under the DSA can reach six percent of a company's global annual turnover. The act includes a fast-track 90-day enforcement procedure to ensure swift implementation.

Legal Challenges and Industry Response

The proposal faces significant legal opposition. France's top court previously blocked a similar proposal, ruling it infringed upon freedom of expression.

The impact would be substantial, affecting approximately 450 million people across the EU. While the ban of addictive features represents a new regulatory twist, industry leaders have raised concerns about age verification challenges and potential duplicative legislation.

"Age verification remains a technical challenge, and parallel regulation to existing laws like the Digital Services Act is problematic and unnecessary," said Bernhard Rohleder, CEO of Germany's IT industry association BITKOM.

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