EU To Propose Restrictions On Social Media, Online Games For Under-15s

EU To Propose Restrictions On Social Media, Online Games For Under-15s The European Union is set to propose sweeping new restrictions on children’s access to social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games, with a minimum age of 15 for minors to open independent accounts. The proposal, contained in a draft of the planned EU Kids Act, would introduce a tiered system allowing younger children to access selected digital services under increasing levels of parental control. The formal proposal is expected to be presented on Thursday. Under the draft, children aged 15 and above would be allowed to open autonomous accounts, while those aged 13 and 14 would require parental permission to access introductory accounts with limited features and strict time controls. Children between three and 12 would only be permitted to use fully parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services, while children under three would have no access to social media and other services considered risky. The proposed legislation would also require major digital platforms to make their services “safe by design” for children. Platforms could be required to remove or restrict features considered addictive, including infinite scrolling, artificial notifications and certain reward mechanisms designed to encourage prolonged engagement. Companies would also have to provide effective parental-control tools and mechanisms through which children can easily report harmful content. The measures are aimed at addressing growing concerns about children’s exposure to harmful content, excessive screen time, online exploitation and addictive digital features. The EU is also preparing an age-verification system that would help platforms determine whether users meet the required age limits. Under the draft proposal, social media and video-sharing services would have to verify the age of children when they create new accounts, while online gaming platforms would be required to verify users’ ages before games can be downloaded. The European Commission has already developed an age-verification solution designed to allow users to prove their age while protecting privacy and personal data. The proposed EU-wide rules come amid growing pressure from member states for stronger measures to protect children online. Countries including France and Greece have pushed for bloc-wide action, while Australia’s restrictions on social media access for under-16s have added momentum to the debate.The EU approach differs from Australia’s system by allowing younger children limited access under parental supervision rather than imposing a blanket prohibition on all social media use below the threshold. The draft remains subject to change before the European Commission formally presents the legislation. If adopted by the Commission, the proposal would then have to go through negotiations with EU member states and the European Parliament before it could become law. The initiative represents one of the EU’s most ambitious efforts yet to regulate children’s interaction with social media, gaming and emerging artificial-intelligence services while forcing technology companies to take greater responsibility for the safety of young users.