EU proposes minimum social media age of 15 under new child safety law
The European Commission has proposed setting an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for children to open their own social media accounts, while banning social media access for children under 13 as part of sweeping new online safety rules.
Under the proposed EU KIDS Act, children aged 13 and 14 would only be able to access social media and video-sharing platforms through accounts set up and controlled by their parents or guardians.
Those accounts would have additional safeguards, including restrictions on social contacts and a screen-time limit of up to one hour per day.
Children under 13 would not be allowed to use social media but could access specially designed child-friendly video services through accounts managed by a parent or guardian, also for up to one hour per day.
The proposed rules would extend beyond social media to video-sharing platforms, online games, AI companions and chatbots used by minors.
Online services would be prohibited from using features designed to encourage addictive behavior, including infinite scrolling without stopping points, reward mechanisms and push notifications during sleeping hours. Profiling-based recommendation feeds that can lead minors toward harmful content would also be restricted.
AI companions and chatbots would have to be turned off by default and could not simulate interpersonal relationships in ways that create emotional dependency.
Minors' profiles would be private by default, while access to geolocation, cameras and microphones would be switched off.
The proposal would also shift the burden of proof to providers of very large online platforms, requiring them to demonstrate that their services are safe by design. The European Commission could require corrective measures if independent audits identify shortcomings.
Online services and app stores would also be required to use age-assurance tools. The Commission said these could include an EU age-verification app designed not to retain identity documents or biometric data.
"Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their wellbeing in mind," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The proposal must now be considered and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU before it can become law.
Australia became the first country to introduce a social media ban for users under 16 in December 2025, while several European governments have also pushed for tighter restrictions on children's access to social media.