The EU's ambitious bid to regulate youth access to social media

The proposed Kids Act mandates that children under 13 remain barred from social media unless parents open accounts on "child-friendly" platforms. For teenagers aged 13 to 15, parental oversight, screen-time limits, and contact restrictions become the default. Beyond age gates, the act imposes "safety-by-design" requirements on social networks, video-sharing services, AI chatbots, and gaming providers. Non-compliance could result in fines reaching 6% of global turnover, backed by a 90-day enforcement fast-track.

While the proposal aims to harmonize fragmented national rules, critics argue it adds unnecessary complexity to an already dense digital rulebook. Policy researchers suggest the Commission should have utilized existing frameworks like the Digital Services Act rather than drafting new regulation. Legislative timelines remain a point of contention; while some officials target an 8 to 12-month approval window, analysts warn that the complex EU process could stall final adoption for up to two years. Furthermore, privacy advocates caution that the focus on age-gating ignores the root causes of platform harm and risks alienating young users whose parents cannot or will not navigate the verification process.