{
  "id": 7473867,
  "title": "EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/eu-is-set-to-propose-ban-on-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-under-15s-7473867",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-15T04:14:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/eu-is-set-to-propose-ban-on-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-under-15s/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The European Union plans to propose a comprehensive ban on social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots, and online games for children under the age of 15, according to a recent document seen by Reuters. This initiative is part of the EU Kids Act and aims to protect children from online risks, including those posed by major platforms like Meta's Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, Google's YouTube, and ChatGPT. The proposal will be unveiled as part of an EU Kids Act presentation by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Tech Chief Henna Virkkunen on Thursday.\n\nThe EU proposal seeks to balance the positive potential of digital services with the need to safeguard children from abuse and exploitation. It proposes that the access to these services be limited based on age, with stricter controls for younger users. For instance, children aged 15 and over can create their own accounts, while those aged 13 to 14 may be permitted to set up accounts under parental supervision, with limited functionalities and strict time constraints. Users aged 3 to 12 would be entirely under parental control, restricted to child-friendly services with stringent safety measures. Users under 3 would have no access to these platforms.\n\nCompanies operating in these spaces would be required to pay a supervisory fee to fund the enforcement and supervision of these regulations. The draft document, which the Commission has not commented on, stipulates that these businesses must avoid addictive designs and harmful feeds, provide tools for easy reporting of harmful content, and implement effective parental control mechanisms. Social media and video-sharing platforms would be mandated to verify the age of new users, while online game platforms would need to verify ages before allowing downloads.",
  "summary": "The European Union will propose a ban restricting under-15s from social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games, in the most sweeping plan yet to protect children from online dangers, a European Commission document seen by Reuters shows.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/eu-is-set-to-propose-ban-on-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-under-15s",
        "published": "2026-09-14T18:18:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Maverick",
        "title": "EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/eu-is-set-to-propose-ban-on-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-under-15s-7384938",
        "published": "2026-09-14T19:50:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "EU is set to propose ban on social media and AI chatbots for under-15s",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/eu-is-set-to-propose-ban-on-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-under-15s",
        "published": "2026-09-15T03:41:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}