Story perspectives

EU Kids Act Bans Social Media for Under-13s

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 7:57 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Ursula von der Leyen delivered the EU State of the Union to the European Parliament on 16 September 2026.
She introduced the EU Kids Act, banning social-media access for users under 13.
The EU Kids Act also shifts the burden of proof for platform safety onto technology companies.
Von der Leyen proposed a European Security Council including Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada and other democratic partners.

History

Historical Context

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, enacted in May 2018, imposed strict data-privacy rules on tech firms across member states. Under GDPR, the European Commission levied fines exceeding €20 million on companies like Google and Facebook for non-compliance, totaling €1.2 billion. Von der Leyen’s 2026 Kids Act mirrors GDPR by shifting safety proof onto platforms like Meta, and adds a council with Ukraine and the UK. If enforced, the act could compel multinational firms to redesign age-verification systems, set a global precedent for child-online protection, and deepen trans-Atlantic security cooperation.

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Story summary

Ursula von der Leyen delivered the EU State of the Union to the European Parliament on 16 September 2026.
She introduced the EU Kids Act, banning social-media access for users under 13.
The EU Kids Act also shifts the burden of proof for platform safety onto technology companies.
Von der Leyen proposed a European Security Council including Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada and other democratic partners.

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