EU, 15살 미만 ‘AI 챗봇·SNS 이용 제한’ 법 만든다

The European Union (EU) is proposing a new set of measures to limit the use of social media, video sharing platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, and online games for individuals under the age of 15. This would be the EU's first attempt to establish a minimum legal age for social media use. According to a leaked draft of the "EU Children's Law," obtained by Reuters and Bloomberg on the 14th (local time), the minimum age for creating independent accounts without parental supervision is set at 15.

Users aged 13 to 14 can only use a "training account" with parental supervision, where the range of contacts and usage time are strictly limited. Those aged 3 to 12 must use only child-friendly services that meet safety standards, while those under 3 years old will be completely banned from using such platforms. Social media and video sharing platforms must verify the age of new users at account creation, and gaming platforms must verify age before the game is downloaded.

Platforms must provide easy-to-use reporting functions for harmful content and tools for parents to effectively control usage. Non-compliant platforms could face hefty fines, up to 6% of their global annual revenue. These platforms are also required to pay fees to cover the supervision costs of the oversight committee. The executive branch plans to announce the law on the 17th.

The exact content of the draft may change before the official announcement. The law would need to go through negotiations between the EU executive and the European Parliament before it can take effect, which could take years. Meanwhile, on the same day, the French government began the process to re-consider its 15 and under social media use restriction proposal, following a recent constitutional decision.

President Emmanuel Macron announced that the government would submit the new law to the EU's Executive Committee, emphasizing that it would undergo rigorous technical review. The law's submission is part of the broader process of ensuring that national laws do not violate European Union legislation. France's proposal, which passed both houses of parliament in July, was rejected by the Constitutional Council last month, citing concerns that it would excessively restrict freedom of expression.