EU proposes ban on social media for children under 13

The European Union has unveiled another proposal to restrict online freedom for hundreds of millions of users across Europe.

The EU KIDS Act

Last week, the European Commission introduced the EU KIDS Act, a proposal that would effectively ban children under 13 from accessing social media. The act would also require parent-supervised accounts for teenagers aged 13 to 15.

According to CNET, the proposal represents some of the "tightest restrictions yet on technology products." If enacted, it would extend beyond social media platforms to include:

• Video-sharing platforms
• Video games
• AI chatbots

Reuters reports that the legislation would cover 450 million people across 27 countries.

Key Announcement

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal during her 2026 State of the Union address on Wednesday. She emphasized that the act would shift responsibility onto social media companies to prove they are proactively preventing children from using their platforms.

"Because it is not about our minors accessing social media," von der Leyen said. "It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors."

Age Verification Requirements

The proposal would require age verification for:

• Users creating new social media accounts
• Users accessing existing accounts, if a "provider cannot tell with a high degree of confidence that the holder of the account is above the age threshold"

The proposal acknowledges that implementing age verification could lead to "additional costs for digital services providers." However, it suggests companies could reduce these costs by using the EU age verification solution — an app currently being developed by the European Commission.

According to a promotional video by the EU, the app verifies identities through several methods, including:

• Uploading a passport
• Appearing in person at a post office
• Connecting an online banking app

The EU states the app protects user privacy by collecting age information only once upfront. Users wishing to access restricted websites can then scan a QR code using the app.

Concerns Over Online Freedom

"Deciding what is 'safe' can easily become a question of what content people can access or share," the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital freedom group, has noted. Critics argue that with such a sweeping online safety apparatus in place, powerful bureaucrats like von der Leyen become gatekeepers of the internet. Even if the EU's age verification app protects user privacy, they contend that users should be able to access apps and websites anonymously without proving their age.

Path to Implementation

According to CNN, the Kids Act would require approval from individual EU member states and could take years to take effect. Nevertheless, member states are already advancing other online safety measures:

• October 2024: 25 EU member states signed the Jutland Declaration, calling for a "legal requirement for effective and privacy-preserving age verification on social media."
• France: Parliament voted to enact a social media ban for children under 15. The law would have required age verification for enforcement, but the country's top court has since blocked the ban due to privacy and free speech concerns.

Broader Regulatory Agenda

During her address, von der Leyen also warned that addictive social media design is "harming everyone" and that the EU needs a "wider framework" to address the problem. She announced that the European Commission plans to introduce the Digital Fairness Act this fall.

Editorial Note

While many people understandably want to shield children from certain corners of the online world, critics argue that the state cannot fulfill this parental role without severely curtailing online freedom. Online safety laws do not only apply to children — by default, they apply to every adult making online accounts or attempting to access sensitive websites.