The European Union (EU) is preparing to propose a ban that would restrict children under 15 from accessing social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games as part of a major effort to protect young people from online harm.
The proposal is contained in a European Commission document seen by Reuters and forms part of the EU Kids Act, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen are expected to present on Thursday.
The proposal comes amid growing concerns worldwide about the impact of digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and ChatGPT on children’s health and safety.
“The Union’s approach should allow minors to benefit from the huge potential of digital services, while protecting them from abuse and exploitation. It needs to limit the access of tech companies to our children, and not the other way around,” the document said.
The proposed rules would introduce different levels of access based on age, with companies facing varying responsibilities depending on the type of service and the age of the child.
Children aged 15 and above would be allowed to create their own accounts. Those aged 13 to 14 could use social media and video-sharing platforms only with parental approval, limited contacts and strict time restrictions.
Children aged three to 12 would have accounts fully controlled by their parents and access would be limited to child-friendly services meeting strict safety standards. Children under three would not be allowed to use the services.
The draft would also require companies to take measures to prevent addictive platform designs and harmful content feeds.
They would have to provide easy-to-use tools for children to report harmful content and stronger parental controls.
Social media and video-sharing platforms would be required to verify users’ ages when they create accounts, while online gaming platforms would have to verify children’s ages before allowing them to download games.
Companies would also be required to pay a supervisory fee to help fund regulatory enforcement and oversight.
The European Commission declined to comment on the proposal, which could still change before its formal presentation.
If adopted by the Commission, the draft would then have to be negotiated with EU member states and the European Parliament before it could become law.
Many major technology companies already set a minimum age of 13 for creating social media accounts and say they have measures in place to protect younger users.
