Technology, AI & Cyber
EU under-15 online curbs to cover games and AI
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to outline EU plans to limit under-15s' access to social media, video-sharing platforms, online games and AI chatbots.
Draft documents seen by AFP say the proposed EU KIDS Act would set strict limits on access for children under 15, with a tiered system based on age and parental supervision. The plan is due to be formally presented in Strasbourg on Thursday by von der Leyen and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen.
Under the draft, teenagers aged 15 and over would be allowed to open their own accounts on social media, AI and gaming platforms. Children aged 13 and 14 would be allowed limited introductory accounts under parental control and with screen-time caps. Children aged three to 13 would be limited to fully parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services, while children under three would have no access.
The proposal would also ban addictive design features, including so-called infinite scrolling, where children are concerned. Platforms that break the rules could face fines of up to six percent of annual turnover, according to a second document seen by AFP.
Von der Leyen has faced pressure from EU member states including France, Denmark and Greece to act across the 27-nation bloc. France has submitted a reworked under-15 social media ban proposal after a top court struck down an earlier version on freedom of expression grounds.
The EU has already told Meta's Facebook and Instagram and TikTok to change design features it calls addictive under the Digital Services Act, but Brussels says existing rules are not enough to bring the changes it wants.
The proposal has drawn competing appeals from parents, children's rights groups, digital rights advocates and technology companies. European consumer organisation BEUC's Agustin Reyna warned that age verification is not a simple solution and would raise privacy and data protection concerns.
The draft proposal would need negotiations between EU governments and the European Parliament before becoming law, a process that could take months.
Update
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to outline new EU legislation in her annual speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Draft documents seen by AFP say the plan would set strict limits on access to social media, AI chatbots and online gaming for under-15s.
The draft includes tiered access for children, parental controls, screen-time limits and no access for children under three.
Platforms that break the rules could face fines of up to six percent of annual turnover, according to a second document seen by AFP.
The proposed EU KIDS Act is due to be formally presented in Strasbourg on Thursday by von der Leyen and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen.
Digital and children's rights groups have raised concerns about age checks, privacy and whether access limits address platform harms.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 September 2026 at 03:39:27 UTC.
Update
Ursula von der Leyen said she will reveal next week how the EU plans to structure a social media “delay” for children.
She said the plan will be set out in her annual keynote speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
A European source said she is considering a ban for children under 15 with flexibility for ages 13 to 15 if a parent allows access, but warned the plan could change.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 September 2026 at 16:11:09 UTC.
Update
Children's rights groups and digital rights groups are criticising both possible social media age limits and the planned EU age-check system.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is weighing restrictions for children under 13 or under 15, according to the item.
The EU plans to roll out an age-check app later this year to support any restrictions.
Critics say age verification could chill online speech and exclude people without documents or those unwilling to provide ID.
Brussels says the app would use zero-knowledge proof and would not share names, birthdays or personal data with platforms.
Experts reported privacy and security flaws after the app blueprint was launched, and security consultant Paul Moore said he was able to bypass it.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 01:37:27 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The plans are based partly on draft documents seen by AFP and could change before or during the legislative process.
The proposal has not yet become law and negotiations between EU governments and the European Parliament could take months.
The practical operation of age checks and their privacy effects remain contested.
Source
AFP news report published on .