● Covered by 4 sources · 4 reportsMedium impact1 negative3 neutral
EU Kids Act Proposes Social Media Ban for Under-13s, Parental Supervision for 13-14
Key points
- EU Kids Act proposes social media ban for under-13s.
- Parental supervision required for 13- and 14-year-olds.
- Minimum age of 15 for independent account creation.
- Platforms must implement "safe by design" features.
- Burden of proof shifts to social media companies.
- France approved legislation banning social media for children under 15 last January.
- Australia's eSafety Commissioner reported 4.7 million under-16 accounts restricted after its ban.
- One in five Australian teenagers under 16 still used TikTok and Snapchat two months after the ban.
- Indonesia's child safety framework, effective in March, bars under-16s from 'high-risk' platforms.
- UK government bans under-16s from 'high-risk' social media platforms.
- UK ban includes restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds on infinite scrolling and algorithmic content.
- UK ban includes tighter age-verification checks.
- UK ban comes into effect in March.
New Social Media Regulations Proposed
The European Commission has introduced the EU Kids Act, a proposal aimed at regulating minors' access to social media platforms. If adopted, the law would prohibit social media use for children under 13 and mandate parental supervision for those aged 13 and 14.
Under the proposed legislation, individuals would only be able to create their own social media accounts independently once they turn 15. Children under 13 would be restricted to specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services through accounts managed by a guardian.
Parental Controls and "Mini Accounts"
For children between 13 and 15, access to social media platforms would be through "mini accounts" created and managed by their guardians. These mini accounts would be subject to strict regulations, including limitations on social contacts and a cap on screen time, potentially set at one hour per day.
The proposal emphasizes that platforms will be required to implement "safe by design" features to protect minors. This includes integrating parental controls and restricting elements identified as addictive.
Addressing Harm and Shifting Responsibility
Ursula Von der Leyen, EU Commission president, stated that there is substantial evidence regarding the harm social media causes to developing brains and personalities. The legislation aims to address these concerns by shifting the burden of proof onto tech companies.
This initiative follows similar actions or plans in other countries, including Australia, Spain, France, China, Turkey, and the UK, which are also addressing the impact of technology on children.
Updates
- UK government bans under-16s from 'high-risk' social media platforms.
- UK ban includes restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds on infinite scrolling and algorithmic content.
- UK ban includes tighter age-verification checks.
- UK ban comes into effect in March.
- France approved legislation banning social media for children under 15 last January.
- Australia's eSafety Commissioner reported 4.7 million under-16 accounts restricted after its ban.
- One in five Australian teenagers under 16 still used TikTok and Snapchat two months after the ban.
- Indonesia's child safety framework, effective in March, bars under-16s from 'high-risk' platforms.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced that the government's ban on under-16s accessing "high-risk" social media platforms, effective March, is an initial step in broader online safety regulation. Nandy indicated further interventions are planned to regulate online spaces, aiming to make them safer and more inclusive.
Governments are implementing social media bans for children, but an expert argues these measures do not address the core issues of online harm. The bans fail to tackle problematic recommender algorithms, engagement-maximizing design, opaque moderation, and extractive data practices, which are identified as the real sources of danger.
The European Commission has outlined a proposal, the EU KIDS Act, to prohibit social media access for children under 13 and set a minimum age of 15 for account creation. This initiative mandates platforms to implement "safe by design" features, including parental controls and restrictions on addictive elements, to protect minors online.
The European Commission introduced the EU Kids Act, a proposal that would ban social media access for children under 13 and require parental supervision for 13- and 14-year-olds. This legislation aims to address the documented harm social media causes to developing brains and personalities, shifting the burden of proof onto platforms.