The European Commission has proposed banning children under 13 from using social media across the European Union and restricting access for older teenagers under a new EU Kids Act, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday.“Today, our children are engaging with some of the most sophisticated technology ever created, and it was not created with children’s well-being and development in mind,” von der Leyen told a press conference.Earlier on Wednesday, Von der Leyen had said the Commission would adopt a “gradual and differentiated approach”, with different safeguards based on age.“No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15,” she told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.Under the proposed framework, children aged 13 to under 15 would be allowed only “mini accounts” set up and supervised by parents or guardians, with limited features and a one-hour-a-day time restriction. For those aged 15 to 18, platforms would be required to implement “safe design”.Social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, AI companions and chatbots serving under-18s would face new safeguards, Reuters reported on Thursday. These would prohibit addictive features, profiling-based recommendation feeds, infinite scrolling, reward mechanisms and unsolicited contact from strangers. AI companions and chatbots would be disabled by default, while platforms would need child-safe algorithms and accessible parental controls.“I am aware that many perceive the power of big tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree,” von der Leyen said.“We do not have to accept addictive features. We do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content. We do not have to accept that girls have their photos used for AI-generated sexualised images,” she said.Von der Leyen said the proposal would also shift responsibility towards technology companies.“So we are reversing the burden of proof. Platforms will have to prove that they are safe,” she said. “Because it is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors.”“Europe has the power to act. It is we who decide our rules, not big tech,” she added.The Commission’s proposal follows regulatory efforts in Australia, Britain, China, India, Turkey and several European countries. AP reported that platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok already prohibit users under 13 from opening accounts, but authorities have accused companies of failing to keep children off their services.The proposal still has to be negotiated with EU member states and the European Parliament before it can become law. The Commission is also preparing a broader Digital Fairness Act, with von der Leyen saying, “Addictive design, for example, is harming everyone. This is why we need a wider framework, the Digital Fairness Act. We will propose it in autumn.”
