European Commission introduces EU KIDS Act to protect children online

The European Commission has introduced the EU KIDS Act to strengthen children's online safety.

The proposal, outlined earlier in the week during President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union address, provides a tiered framework for social media access. Children under 13 are prohibited from using social media, though they may access child-friendly video platforms via accounts managed by a parent or guardian. Users aged between 13 and 15 may operate limited mini-accounts supervised by a guardian, capped at one hour daily, while adolescents aged 15 and over may manage their own accounts independently.

Online platforms and app stores must implement privacy-preserving age-verification mechanisms upon account creation, such as the EU age verification app, which discards identity documentation and biometric data. Furthermore, services must implement safety-by-default measures, including private accounts, nocturnal push-notification bans, restrictions on infinite scroll, prohibiting unsolicited contact, and disabling artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots by default.

Reversing the burden of proof, the proposed legislation requires service providers to demonstrate that their products are safe by design. The proposal will now undergo scrutiny and negotiation within the European Parliament and the Council.

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