The proposed EU KIDS Act prohibits social media accounts for children under 13 and provides for parent-supervised accounts for children aged 13 and 14. It also imposes safety by design on the online platforms and services children use most: no addictive tricks leading to excessive use, no spending traps, no contact from strangers, and safe settings by default.
On 17 September 2026, the European Commission made a proposal for an EU KIDS Act to increase the online safety of children and teenagers across the EU. The proposal prohibits social media accounts for children under the age of 13, provides for parent-supervised limited accounts for ages 13 and 14, and sets 15 as the EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an independent account, ensuring a gradual approach to social media use for young people. In addition, service and platform providers will have to prove that their services are age-appropriate and safe by design.
"Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their well-being in mind. Our KIDS Act is reversing the burden of proof - it is for platforms to show they are safe by design. And we put parents back in the driving seat, giving them the tools to help their children navigate a safer online world."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The proposed EU KIDS Act is structured around four pillars:
| Children can create autonomous accounts on social media and video-sharing platform services with risky functionalities only from the age of 15. Between 13 and 15, mini accounts (created with their guardians’ consent) that the children can use, with limited functionalities. This allows them to access only age-appropriate social media and video-sharing platforms: with safeguards in place, including parental controls, limited social contacts, and limited screen time (up to 1h/day). |
| Safety by design rules depend on the type of service/platform - there are general requirements that apply to all, and more specific ones that are just for videogames and artificial intelligence. No addictive design practices like infinite scroll, sleep-time push notifications, reward tricks, "rabbit hole" algorithms, unsolicited contact from strangers. Profiles for minors must be private by default, with camera, microphone, and location settings disabled. It must be easy for minors to block and mute users, and platforms should provide effective time-management tools and safe recommender systems that minors can control, tune and reset. Safety by design is required when users are using the service or platform while logged out. |
| Online services and app stores must establishage rating systems and ensure children do not download apps below the rating. Providers of social media services and video-sharing platforms that present risky characteristics and functionalities will have to perform age verification when a user opens a new account. Age verification is required for +13 and +15 services, and only age verification solutions based on the EU age verification blueprint are allowed. |
| The "burden of proof" is now on the providers of very large online platforms, which are responsible for providing audited compliance plans, proving that they comply with the Regulation and their services are ‘safe by design'. They will be obliged to submit a compliance plan to the European Commission and to an independent auditor. The European Commission can request corrective measures if it considers that the compliance plan contains any shortcomings. The enforcement framework builds on the structures already in place under the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act, making use of established mechanisms and existing expertise. |
"With our EU KIDS Act, we make sure our children can enjoy their rights online - to learn, stay connected and explore. We also give parents the tools to accompany their kids to navigate a safe digital world. All of this by keeping the pressure high on platforms, because they must prove their services do not harm."
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
What happens next?
This legislative proposal has been submitted to the European Parliament and Council, to launch the legislative process for its examination and adoption. By providing one age across the European Union, the EU KIDS Act aims to harmonise diverging rules across the EU Member States and ensure a similar level of protection for all children and teenagers in the EU.
Additional resources
More on digital and socia-cultural environment
The proposed EU KIDS Act prohibits social media accounts for children under 13 and provides for parent-supervised accounts for children aged 13 and 14. It also imposes safety by design on the online platforms and services children use most: no addictive tricks leading to excessive use, no spending traps, no contact from strangers, and safe settings by default.
On 17 September 2026, the European Commission made a proposal for an EU KIDS Act to increase the online safety of children and teenagers across the EU. The proposal prohibits social media accounts for children under the age of 13, provides for parent-supervised limited accounts for ages 13 and 14, and sets 15 as the EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an independent account, ensuring a gradual approach to social media use for young people. In addition, service and platform providers will have to prove that their services are age-appropriate and safe by design.
"Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their well-being in mind. Our KIDS Act is reversing the burden of proof - it is for platforms to show they are safe by design. And we put parents back in the driving seat, giving them the tools to help their children navigate a safer online world."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The proposed EU KIDS Act is structured around four pillars:
| Children can create autonomous accounts on social media and video-sharing platform services with risky functionalities only from the age of 15. Between 13 and 15, mini accounts (created with their guardians’ consent) that the children can use, with limited functionalities. This allows them to access only age-appropriate social media and video-sharing platforms: with safeguards in place, including parental controls, limited social contacts, and limited screen time (up to 1h/day). |
| Safety by design rules depend on the type of service/platform - there are general requirements that apply to all, and more specific ones that are just for videogames and artificial intelligence. No addictive design practices like infinite scroll, sleep-time push notifications, reward tricks, "rabbit hole" algorithms, unsolicited contact from strangers. Profiles for minors must be private by default, with camera, microphone, and location settings disabled. It must be easy for minors to block and mute users, and platforms should provide effective time-management tools and safe recommender systems that minors can control, tune and reset. Safety by design is required when users are using the service or platform while logged out. |
| Online services and app stores must establishage rating systems and ensure children do not download apps below the rating. Providers of social media services and video-sharing platforms that present risky characteristics and functionalities will have to perform age verification when a user opens a new account. Age verification is required for +13 and +15 services, and only age verification solutions based on the EU age verification blueprint are allowed. |
| The "burden of proof" is now on the providers of very large online platforms, which are responsible for providing audited compliance plans, proving that they comply with the Regulation and their services are ‘safe by design'. They will be obliged to submit a compliance plan to the European Commission and to an independent auditor. The European Commission can request corrective measures if it considers that the compliance plan contains any shortcomings. The enforcement framework builds on the structures already in place under the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act, making use of established mechanisms and existing expertise. |
"With our EU KIDS Act, we make sure our children can enjoy their rights online - to learn, stay connected and explore. We also give parents the tools to accompany their kids to navigate a safe digital world. All of this by keeping the pressure high on platforms, because they must prove their services do not harm."
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
What happens next?
This legislative proposal has been submitted to the European Parliament and Council, to launch the legislative process for its examination and adoption. By providing one age across the European Union, the EU KIDS Act aims to harmonise diverging rules across the EU Member States and ensure a similar level of protection for all children and teenagers in the EU.
Additional resources
- social media age-appropriate design online safety online safety policy
Related content
- < Previous article
- Next article >
More on digital and socia-cultural environment
- < Previous
- Next >
More on digital and socia-cultural environment
Related articles
