EU Social Media Age Limits
EU Drafts Proposed Kids Act with Strict Social Media Age Limits
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The EU proposal is expected to be presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her annual State of the Union address, followed by a detailed Brussels briefing with Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. Any resulting law would still require approval by the European Parliament, Commission and EU member states.
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Under the draft framework, parents could create introductory accounts for children aged 13 to 15 with restricted functionality, including daily screen-time caps and limits on the number of contacts or friends; parents would also be able to monitor and control those accounts.
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The proposed age-verification regime may exempt long-established accounts and accounts linked to other identification, such as credit cards, while online games would face mandatory age verification. Ireland’s digital wallet is among the tools being tested for privacy- and security-compliant checks.
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The EU plan would reportedly exclude educational tools and establish an enforcement structure modeled on the Digital Services Act and Artificial Intelligence Act, including supervisory fees paid by companies and centralized oversight of the highest-risk services by the European Commission.
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The U.S. 16 & Up Social Media Act would require platforms to immediately delete stored personal data when an underage account is terminated and provide a five-day appeals process, in addition to barring covered platforms from allowing users under 16 to maintain accounts.
The European Union is preparing sweeping rules to keep children off social media, with the European Commission set to unveil the EU Kids Act on September 17. The draft framework would block anyone under 15 from creating independent social media accounts, while allowing parent-controlled accounts for ages 13 to 15. Dutch Minister Willemijn Aerdts stated: "We would not accept unsafe products for children in the physical world. The same standard should apply online."
The proposal comes as the U.S. Congress moves separately to restrict social media access. On September 10, bipartisan lawmakers introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act, which would bar users under 16 from platforms with addictive features like infinite scroll and algorithmic feeds. The initiatives reflect growing alarm over online harms to minors.
The EU's Three-Tier Age Framework
Under the draft EU Kids Act, children face strict digital divides. Those under 13 cannot open social media accounts at all—no exceptions. Children aged 13 to 14 can create introductory accounts, but only with parental approval. Parents control daily screen-time caps and contact limits on these accounts. At 15, young people gain the right to open independent accounts.
The framework also targets online games and AI chatbots, requiring age verification before access. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, plans to frame the rules as limiting "tech companies' access to our children," not the reverse. She will emphasize a "safe by design" approach that strips addictive features from platforms.
Age Verification and Privacy Concerns
The EU proposal requires platforms to verify age before allowing account creation, but the technical details remain contentious. Long-established accounts and those linked to credit cards or digital wallets may get exemptions. Ireland's digital wallet is being tested as a privacy-safe verification tool. Industry groups warn that age-checking forces companies to collect sensitive ID data, creating privacy risks.
Enforcement remains murky. The Commission plans to model oversight on existing rules—the Digital Services Act and AI Act—with supervisory fees paid by tech companies and centralized oversight by Brussels. Non-compliance could trigger fines up to 6% of global annual turnover. Some EU nations, including Estonia and Belgium, oppose outright bans, arguing regulation should focus on making platforms safer instead.
A Parallel U.S. Push for Under-16 Restrictions
Across the Atlantic, Representatives Erin Houchin and Jake Auchincloss introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act on September 10. Rather than blocking access entirely, the U.S. bill targets manipulative design. Platforms cannot show users under 16 infinite scroll, autoplay videos, or personalized recommendation feeds. Houchin said: "Studies show that sixteen is the right line." Auchincloss added: "Social media corporations addict children for profit."
The U.S. bill requires platforms to delete personal data immediately when an underage account closes and give users five days to appeal terminations. The feature-based approach differs from the EU's age-gate model. Neither approach has won universal backing—critics worry age verification threatens privacy, while others question whether restricting features alone will protect children from harms.
What Comes Next: Approval and Global Ripples
The EU Kids Act faces a long approval road. Even after von der Leyen's September 17 presentation, the proposal must pass the European Parliament and gain backing from all EU member states. Meanwhile, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Greece, and Denmark are already moving toward national age limits, creating a patchwork the EU law aims to harmonize. Australia and the UAE have already passed under-16 bans.
If both the EU and U.S. push forward, tech platforms will face radically different rules on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The EU blocks young teens outright; the U.S. restricts features. Privacy advocates, child safety experts, and tech companies are watching closely to see which model wins—and whether others copy it globally.
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