European Commission Adopts EU KIDS Act to Restrict Social Media Access for Children

Key points

• The proposal prohibits social media platforms from accessing children under 13 and sets an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open their own accounts.
• The Act reverses the burden of proof, requiring service providers to show their services are age-appropriate and safe by design.
• The Act is structured around four pillars: social media delay, safety-by-design, privacy-preserving age assurance, and effective enforcement.
• Children between 13 and under 15 would access age-appropriate social media through mini accounts under a guardian's account, with screen time limited to one hour per day.
• Platforms must ban addictive features, profiling-based recommender feeds, infinite scroll, reward tricks, and push notifications during sleeping hours.
• Online services and app stores must use age assurance tools, such as the EU age verification app that does not retain identity documents or biometric data.
• Very large online platforms must submit compliance plans to the Commission and an independent auditor, with noncompliance investigations to conclude within 90 days.
• The proposal has been submitted to the European Parliament and Council to launch the legislative process for examination and adoption.