EU Kids act: The EU’s plan to make the internet safer for kids

On September 17, the European Commission unveiled the EU Kids Act, a plan aimed at enhancing online child safety and promoting the well-being of young people. The proposal establishes a minimum age requirement for social media accounts and bans accounts for individuals under 13. It also prohibits the use of profiling-based recommender feeds and addictive features, while requiring service providers to demonstrate their services are "safe by design."

The Act builds upon the recommendations of a Special Panel on child safety, which published its findings in July 2026, advocating for stricter access restrictions to what was termed as "social media."

The EU aims to implement uniform rules that safeguard all children equally across Europe, thereby avoiding a diverse range of national laws. To be effective, the proposal must first receive approval from the European Parliament and Council. The rationale behind this legislation is supported by a recent Eurobarometer survey, which found that early social media use is linked to increased screen time and longer periods spent on devices.

Specifically, children who began using social media before the age of 10 reported an average of 7.5 hours of screen time on weekends, compared to 5.7 hours for those who started after the age of 14. On weekdays, teenagers aged between 13 and 18 spent 4.5 hours on screens, rising to 6.1 hours during weekends.

The issue extends beyond mere screen time and delves into the design of these platforms. Francesca Pisanu, a senior policy officer at Eurochild, highlighted that "social media platforms are no longer the services they were when they were first created. Many have evolved into highly sophisticated systems designed to capture and monetize attention."

These platforms, driven by ad-focused business models and featuring recommender systems and addictive aspects such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications, are contributing to excessive use or addiction in children. The unrestricted access to harmful content on these platforms poses significant risks to both physical and mental health and exacerbates negative social behaviors.

Eurobarometer data indicates that approximately 33% of minors experience stress or sadness, while 90% report adverse symptoms such as depression, concentration issues, or eating disorders. Cyberbullying is also a growing concern, with about 5% of children aged 9 to 16 experiencing online bullying monthly, making it the most frequently cited issue in helpline calls for Safer Internet Centres.