EU’s Draft Kids Act Could Shut Social Media to Kids Under 13 – Personal Accounts Only From 15

The European Commission is gearing up to roll out a draft law that many are calling the “Kids Act.” In plain terms, the proposal would bar children younger than 13 from logging onto mainstream social‑media sites and even from using AI‑driven chatbots. If the draft survives debate, youngsters would have to wait until they turn 15 before they could open a personal account of their own.

What’s more, the legislation isn’t just about age limits. It goes after the mechanics that keep kids scrolling for hours – endless feeds, autoplay videos and other so‑called “addictive” design tricks. Platforms would be forced to prove, through transparent testing and reporting, that they have removed or mitigated these features for younger users.

In practice, a 12‑year‑old in Paris, Berlin or Madrid might still be able to watch a video that a parent has shared, but they couldn’t create a profile, post comments or chat with a bot on their own. The responsibility for compliance would sit squarely on the shoulders of the tech giants – think Meta, TikTok, X and the rest – who would need to submit regular safety audits to EU regulators.

The move mirrors steps taken elsewhere. Australia, for instance, enacted a ban on under‑16s earlier this year, sparking a wave of debate about the balance between protection and freedom. Indian states such as Karnataka have also floated similar restrictions, and the idea is gaining traction among child‑rights groups worldwide.

Critics, however, warn that a blanket age cut‑off could push kids toward unregulated platforms or VPNs, where safety is even harder to enforce. They argue that education and parental controls might be a more flexible approach than outright bans.

For now, the Kids Act remains a proposal. It will be discussed by EU lawmakers, amended, and possibly adopted later this year. If it does become law, the digital lives of European children could look very different – with fewer endless scrolls, fewer auto‑playing videos, and a higher age threshold before they can claim a personal online identity.