The European Commission has adopted the EU Kids Act to strengthen the safety of minors online. The proposal bans social media platforms from allowing children under 13 and sets the minimum age for opening an independent account at 15. Parental supervision will be required for children between the ages of 13 and 15.
The text also introduces the principle of reversing the burden of proof: providers will have to demonstrate that their services are age-appropriate and safe by default.
The EU Kids Act proposes that minors be able to create their own social media accounts only from the age of 15. For those aged 13 to 15, the proposal provides for parental control through "mini accounts" that can be created by a parent and used by the child via the parent's account to access age-appropriate social media and video sharing platforms. These accounts should include safeguards such as limited social contact and a maximum usage time of one hour per day.
Children between the ages of 3 and 13 will not be able to access social media, but they will be able to use video-sharing services specifically designed for children through accounts managed by their parents . Platforms should provide a simple tool to limit the use of the adult's device, when entrusted to the child, to such services and to limit exposure to a maximum of one hour per day.
The principle of reversing the burden of proof has also been introduced: for very large online platforms, providers will be required to demonstrate that their services are "safe by design" —that is, secure from the outset and appropriate for the age of their users.
The EU Kids Act imposes obligations on online services that offer social media, video sharing, online gaming, AI assistants, and chatbots to users under the age of 18.
The measures include a ban on addictive features and profiling-based recommendation feeds that can lead minors to harmful content, as well as a ban on endless scrolling without breakpoints, reward mechanisms, and push notifications during sleep. Unsolicited contact from strangers is also prohibited.
Minors' profiles should be private by default, with location, camera, and microphone disabled. Services should also offer simple tools to block and mute other users, time management tools, and secure recommendation systems that minors can review, modify, and reset.
(Unioneonline)
