Technology, AI & Cyber
EU under-13 social media ban plan adds AI safeguards
The European Union laid out draft legislation on Thursday to ban children under 13 from social media, allow only limited supervised access until age 15, and impose safety rules on social media, games and AI assistants used by minors.
Under the proposed EU KIDS Act, children aged 15 and over could set up social media accounts. Children aged 13 and 14 could use parent- or guardian-linked “mini accounts” with safeguards including a one-hour daily screen-time limit.
The draft would require platforms to prove services are safe before children use them. It would ban addictive features, endless scrolling, reward-type mechanisms, unsolicited contact from strangers and push notifications while children sleep.
The plan would also restrict profiling-based recommender feeds that expose children to harmful content. AI companions and chatbots would be barred from simulating interpersonal relationships in ways that create emotional dependency.
Children's profiles would be private by default, with location, camera and microphone turned off. Platforms would have to make it easy for minors to block or mute users.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels was “reversing the burden of proof” by requiring companies to show that their platforms are safe for children.
Platforms would have to submit compliance plans to the European Commission and an independent auditor. If the auditor rejected a plan, the commission could demand corrective measures. The EU said investigations into platforms would have to finish within 90 days, with violations potentially leading to fines of up to 6% of annual turnover.
The proposal still needs approval through negotiations between the European Parliament and EU member states, a process that can take months. An EU official said that, once adopted, the act would apply across Europe and supersede national laws with different age limits or rules.
The EU is also preparing an age-check app intended to stop children below the thresholds from accessing social media. Brussels says the app would not share personal data with platforms and would provide only a cryptographic yes-or-no answer. Platforms would not have to use that app, but they would have to use an age-assurance tool for new users.
Update
The EU laid out the draft law on Thursday after the earlier announcement.
The proposal would ban push notifications while children sleep and ban some addictive features.
Children's profiles would be private by default, with location, camera and microphone turned off.
Platforms would have to submit compliance plans to the European Commission and an independent auditor.
EU investigations into platforms would have to be completed within 90 days.
An EU official said the act would supersede national laws with different age limits or rules once adopted.
The EU is preparing an age-check app that would return only a cryptographic yes-or-no age answer to platforms.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 September 2026 at 14:01:32 UTC.
Update
Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plan would set no social media under 13 and no personal account under 15.
Children aged 13 to under 15 would be allowed only parent- or guardian-supervised mini accounts with limited features and a one-hour daily time limit.
Platforms would face safe-design obligations for users aged 15 to 18.
The proposed KIDS Act was due to be formally presented on Thursday in Strasbourg.
A draft document showed possible fines of up to 6% of annual turnover for platforms that break the rules.
The draft would ban addictive design features such as infinite scrolling where children are concerned.
Digital and consumer rights groups raised concerns about age verification and privacy.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 September 2026 at 13:02:53 UTC.
Update
More than 20 countries have taken steps to block or restrict children's access to social media, according to an AFP tally.
Seven countries have measures already in place or set to be implemented, targeting children under 15 or 16.
The item lists countries with existing, planned or proposed restrictions, including Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, several EU states, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.
California recently signed laws including a ban on platforms offering addictive features to under-16s from early 2027.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 September 2026 at 13:51:57 UTC.
Update
Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plan would mean no social media for children under 13 and no personal account under 15.
Children aged 13 to under 15 would be allowed only parent- or guardian-supervised mini accounts with limited features and a one-hour daily time restriction.
The proposed KIDS Act is due to be formally presented on Thursday.
Draft details show platforms could face fines of up to six percent of annual turnover for breaking the rules.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 September 2026 at 09:07:59 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The final text may change during negotiations between EU governments and the European Parliament.
The timing of adoption is uncertain.
Privacy defenders have raised concerns about age-checking tools.
Source
AFP news report published on .