Full Breakdown
EU Pushes Toward an EU-wide Minimum Age for Social Media
By Drooid · · How we work
The EU Kids Act Unveiled
The European Commission is set to present the EU Kids Act on Thursday in Brussels. Ursula von der Leyen and Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, will introduce the proposal, which centers on a “safe-by-design” approach that targets addictive features rather than merely the content children see. The text has not yet been published, its legal basis remains unconfirmed, and no penalty regime has been announced. The Commission has previously used the Digital Services Act to bring cases against Meta and TikTok on child-safety grounds, raising questions about why a separate framework is needed.
Ongoing Debate Over the Age Threshold
Two age thresholds are still under discussion. An expert panel led by Germany recommended 13 years, a level already claimed by many platforms, while France advocates 15 years. Spain has pushed for 16 years, and the European Parliament previously called for a common age of 16. Some member states, such as Estonia and Belgium, oppose an outright age-based ban, preferring broader regulation of platform design. Norway, France, and several other countries have already enacted national limits ranging from under-15 to under-16 bans, creating a fragmented regulatory landscape.
Netherlands and Spain Call for an EU-wide Minimum Age
On 14 Sep 2026, the Dutch and Spanish governments jointly urged the Commission to adopt an EU-wide minimum age for social-media use. The Dutch government announced the proposal on 11 Sep 2026, emphasizing that age limits alone would be insufficient. Their plan calls for a framework that assesses whether platforms meet safety standards; services that comply could be exempt from the age restriction. Both governments stress that any age-verification system must be privacy-preserving, confirming only that a user meets the required age without collecting unnecessary personal data. The proposal aligns with the Netherlands’ 2026–2030 coalition agreement, which commits to a enforceable Europe-wide minimum age of 15 years while urging platforms to improve child-safety features.
Open Questions and Potential Impact
Four key issues will determine how the EU Kids Act reshapes the digital environment for children: (1) the final age threshold, (2) whether the Act imposes a simple ban or a broader risk-based regime, (3) which entity—platforms or operating systems—will verify age, and how the new rules will differ from the powers already granted under the Digital Services Act. Researchers have demonstrated that a proposed zero-knowledge-proof verification app can be bypassed in under two minutes, highlighting technical challenges. If adopted, an EU-wide age limit could replace the current patchwork of national rules, providing a single standard for platforms operating across borders while encouraging the development of safer digital services for children.