The European Commission is developing a new legislative package provisionally titled the EU Kids Act. According to a draft document obtained by media outlets, users under the age of 15 would generally be prohibited from independently registering accounts on social media and video-sharing platforms.

Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 14 would only be able to use such services with parental consent and under strict operational limits. The regulatory scope also extends to artificial intelligence chatbots, AI companionship products, and online games, though the current draft primarily requires these services to implement age-appropriate design measures rather than imposing the same blanket prohibition for under-15s that applies to social platforms.

Age Thresholds Apply Specifically to Social Platforms

The draft categorizes minors into distinct age brackets. Children under three years old would be barred entirely from social media and other high-risk online services. Those aged three to twelve could only access services that meet child safety standards, and solely under adult supervision. Teenagers aged 13 to 14 could use social media and video platforms with parental consent, but their account functions, contact lists, and usage time would be tightly restricted. Once a user turns 15, they may open an independent account, although platforms must still provide age-appropriate safeguards. These rules are expected to cover major platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The draft remains subject to modification before official publication, and subsequent negotiations between the European Parliament and EU member states mean the text is not yet final law.

Platforms Must Verify Age and Disable High-Risk Features by Default

Under the draft's framework, platforms would be required to verify a user's age at the point of account creation, potentially integrating the EU's unified age verification tool or compliant national schemes. The verification system should only confirm whether a user has reached the appropriate age threshold, avoiding the disclosure of full identity details. For existing accounts, platforms could also face demands to adopt verification measures proportionate to the level of risk. Accounts belonging to minors should be private by default, restrict messaging from strangers, and provide straightforward access to harmful content reporting and parental controls.

The draft further proposes limiting infinite scrolling, artificially engineered notification alerts, and certain reward mechanisms. Recommendation algorithms should not rely solely on engagement metrics in a way that continuously directs children toward highly stimulating or harmful content.

Targeted Rules for AI Chatbots and Gaming

AI chatbots, AI companion services, and online games are slated to be classified as high-risk or specially protected online services. AI companion products capable of offering minors advice on mental health, emotional relationships, or personal development are a focal point of EU concern. However, as the draft stands, the explicit restriction against under-15s independently creating accounts applies mainly to social media and video-sharing platforms. AI products and online games may adopt a hybrid regulatory approach, combining industry commitments with EU co-regulation, with separate specifications for age verification, feature limits, and safety-by-design requirements. AI services used for educational, public institutional, or office and industrial purposes are expected to fall outside the scope of these child-focused consumer restrictions.

Final Age Limit Remains a Likely Legislative Flashpoint

The European Parliament previously passed a non-binding resolution advocating for a uniform age of 16 for independent use of digital services, while allowing 13 to 15-year-olds to use social media, video platforms, and AI companions with parental consent. In contrast, the Commission's draft selects 15 as the threshold for independent account creation. Several member states, including France, Denmark, Spain, and Germany, are also exploring their own age-related measures. The EU's push for a unified approach aims to reduce regulatory fragmentation across the bloc while shifting more of the responsibility for age verification and child safety onto the platforms themselves.