How EU Plans To Keep Children Under 15 Away From Social Media, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The European Union is proposing the EU KIDS Act to restrict children's access to various digital services.
• The proposal aims to set a minimum age of 15 for children to create independent social media accounts.
• Children under 13 would be prohibited from accessing social media platforms.
• The scope extends beyond social media to include AI chatbots, online gaming platforms, and video-sharing services.
• The European Commission published the proposed act on September 17, 2026.

Detailed Insights:

• For children aged 13 and 14, the proposal suggests supervised "mini accounts" managed by parents, with restrictions on contacts and a daily screen time limit of one hour.
• Children between 3 and 12 years old would only access child-friendly video-sharing services through guardian-controlled accounts, also limited to one hour per day.
• The proposal also recommends a ban on digital platform access for children under 3, advising against any screen use for this age group.
• Digital platforms would face increased responsibilities, including mandatory age verification for new accounts and implementing "safety by design" principles.
• The EU KIDS Act seeks to harmonize online safety standards across the EU, complementing existing regulations like the Digital Services Act and GDPR.
• It shifts the burden of proof to technology companies, requiring them to demonstrate that their services are age-appropriate and safe.
• Platforms may also be required to pay a supervisory fee to fund regulatory enforcement and oversight.

Key Concepts Involved:

• EU KIDS Act: A proposed European Union regulation, officially named "EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy," designed to enhance online safety for children through age-based access restrictions and increased platform responsibilities.
• Age Verification: A process or system used to confirm whether an individual meets the minimum age requirement to access certain products, services, or content, often involving official documents or trusted databases.
• Safety by Design: A principle requiring digital services to integrate safety features and protections for children into their core design from the outset, rather than as an afterthought.