Full Breakdown
European Union (EU) Unveils Draft “EU Kids Act” to Restrict Under-15 Access to Social Media, Video Platforms and AI Services
By Drooid · · How we work
Background & Context
Pressure from member-state leaders—including France’s President Emmanuel Macron—and public concern over the mental-health impact of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and AI chatbots have driven the European Commission to draft extensive child-online-safety legislation. An expert panel convened by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this year recommended banning social-media use for children under 13 and introducing graduated access from 13 onward. France’s Constitutional Council recently struck down a national ban for breaching freedom-of-expression rules, prompting a revised French proposal notified to the Commission on September 14, 2026.
Key Provisions of the Draft Legislation
- Age-based tiers:
- Under 3 years: no access to the covered services.
- Ages 3-12: parent-controlled accounts limited to child-friendly services meeting strict safety standards.
- Ages 13-14: “introductory” accounts that limit contact with strangers, impose screen-time caps and require parental controls.
- 15 and above: users may create independent accounts.
- Scope: Covers social-media, video-sharing platforms, online games and AI-driven chatbots, but excludes educational tools.
- Safety-by-design: Platforms must remove or modify features deemed addictive (e.g., autoplay, night-time notifications) and provide easy reporting tools for harmful content.
- Verification & Enforcement: Companies must implement age-verification technology and will be subject to a supervisory fee that funds EU-wide oversight, mirroring the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act.
- Parental-supervision option: For users aged 13-14, parents may open “introductory” accounts that are fully controlled but allow limited interaction.
Official Statements & Responses
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized the need to balance children’s right to information with protection from harmful features, noting that existing rules already impose clear obligations on platforms but have proven insufficient.
The French government, through President Macron’s announcement on X, framed the proposal as a step toward EU-wide harmonisation of child-online protections.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Since the first day, I have made a commitment: to protect our children online. We will go all the way,” — Emmanuel Macron
- “We have to find right balance so it can’t be that kind of blanket ban,” — Henna Virkkunen
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Media outlets differ on whether the draft constitutes an outright ban or a graduated restriction. The final language on the definition of “high-risk” platforms and the exact parameters of the supervisory fee remain undisclosed.
What’s Next
The EU Kids Act is scheduled for formal presentation on September 17, a day after President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where further details are expected. After the Commission’s submission, the proposal will be negotiated with EU member states and the European Parliament before it can become law.