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

The European Union is preparing to introduce new regulations to restrict children under 15 from accessing social media, online games, and video-sharing platforms. This proposal, set to be formally presented on Thursday, includes a tiered system of access for younger children under parental supervision. The EU KIDS Act aims to force digital giants to make their platforms safer for children by removing addictive features like infinite scrolling and artificial notifications.

The law sets an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open autonomous accounts, with a tiered system for children aged 13-14 who will need parental consent to create introductory accounts with limited features. Children aged 3-13 can access fully parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services with strict safety standards.

Below the age of three, children would have no access to social media or other risky services. The EU is also developing an age check app to enforce these rules. The enforcement of the law will be funded by a supervisory fee on platforms. While the EU already has laws to protect children, such as the Digital Services Act, the new regulations are necessary as existing rules do not sufficiently ban common problematic features.