EU proposes age limit of 13 for social media – here is how children’s digital daily lives would change
| Time to read:3 minutes
In September, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal that would bring much-needed and concrete changes to the protection of minors online. What does the proposed “EU KIDS Act” entail, and why is it an eagerly awaited change?
Clear age limits bring protection and peace for growth
The Commission proposes EU-wide age limits for social media. In practice, the age limit would be 13. However, creating an independent account would only be permitted at age 15. Access to services would be tiered according to a child's developmental stage:
- Ages 3–12: No personal or guardian-supervised account on social media. Guardians have the option to allow access to child-oriented video services through their own account.
- Ages 13–14: Guardians can create a special "mini-account" for the minor on social media. This restricted account would include a one-hour daily time limit and parental tools to supervise the child’s safety on social media.
- Ages 15 and over: Minors over 15 years can create their own independent social media account. However, social media platforms must ensure a safer social media experience for all minors.
The tiered age limits would apply to creating accounts on social media and video apps (such as TikTok or Snapchat) that feature certain risk elements. These include, for instance, the ability for strangers to make contact and recommendation algorithms based on profiling.
An end to addictive features and late-night temptations?
In addition to age limits, the proposal includes other changes that significantly affect the digital daily lives of children and youth. The Commission requires stricter built-in safety for social media and video platforms, AI bots, and games used by minors.
The regulation would reshape the digital daily lives of minors under 18 in ways such as:
- Infinite scrolling: Content must not continue endlessly, helping users disconnect from the screen.
- Nighttime notifications: Nighttime sleep is protected by preventing apps from sending notifications at night.
- Contact from strangers: Contact requests sent by unknown users are automatically blocked.
- Addictive AI companions and bots: Chatbots must not use features that appeal to children and foster emotional dependency.
Because children can still access services through a web browser without an account, platforms must ensure that restricted features cannot be accessed via a browser without logging in either.
Rules for enforcing age limits
Verifying age would be the responsibility of social media platforms and app stores. Verification would need to be carried out using highly secure technology, such as the EU Digital Identity Wallet, allowing age verification without handing over identity cards to social platforms.
Once the regulation enters into force, platforms must assess the ages of existing users and close accounts held by those under the required age.
Backed by solid expert evidence
The proposal builds on an expert report on the protection of children in online environments published by the Commission in July. The report specifically recommended a 13-year age limit for social media.
A unified European approach paves the way toward a safer, more balanced digital childhood.
Written by
Someturva’s First Aid Unit’s lawyers