EU to propose curbing social media, online games for under 15s

The European Commission is set to propose new measures to limit the use of social media, video-sharing platforms, chatbots, and online games for children under 15 years old, according to a draft legal document seen by AFP. This proposed law, to be officially presented on Thursday, would ban minors under 15 from creating their own accounts, with a tiered system of access under parental supervision for younger children.

The EU KIDS Act would also require digital platforms to make their services safe for children, removing addictive features such as infinite scrolling, artificial notifications, and certain reward mechanisms. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will unveil the details of the new law during her annual address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, followed by a presentation by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen the next day.

The proposed rules include setting an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open autonomous accounts, with a tiered system for younger children aged 13, 14, and 3-13. Children under three will have no access to social media or other risky services. The EU will enforce these rules through a supervisory fee on platforms, and while existing laws like the Digital Services Act exist, the new law aims to address the lack of outright bans on problematic features and regulate recommender systems to control content promoted to children.