Social networks could be required to use age verification tools to stop under 15s setting up their own personal accounts in the European Union as part of a proposed rulebook to restrict minors' access to social media.

The EU's so-called Kids Act, formally presented on Thursday, would ban children under 13 from accessing social media, and set a minimum EU-wide age of 15 for minors to open their own accounts. Those aged between 13 and 15 would be able to set up limited accounts via a parent or guardian. For children using those mini accounts, the commission said that services should include safeguards such as limited social contacts and a cap on screen time of up to one hour per day.

The commission said that social-media providers and video-sharing platforms would be asked to perform age checks when a user opens a new account, while providers should estimate an existing user's age based on information such as the date an account was set up or credit card details.

It comes as several countries have sought to impose national age restrictions as tech companies face growing pressure over claims they aren't doing enough to protect young people. Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from social media in late 2025. Several of the EU's own member states including France, Poland and Denmark have also mulled or pushed ahead with their own laws.

"92% of Europeans say we should strengthen the protection of children and young people online," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters at a press conference on Thursday. "Too many children are being exposed too early to an online world they are not ready to navigate," she said.

Von der Leyen stressed that the law puts the burden on platforms to prove they are safe by design for young people.

The rules would also impose certain restrictions on a broader range of online services beyond typical social networks that offer accounts to people under 18 such as video-sharing platforms, video games and AI companions, the commission said on Thursday. That would mean refraining from using features like infinite scroll without stopping points and algorithms that draw minors toward harmful content, while also building in strong privacy default settings and time-management tools. Minors' profiles must be private by default, the commission said, with features like geolocation access turned off. The planned rulebook, which still needs to be negotiated and adopted by EU lawmakers and member states before it can take effect, also says that AI companions and chatbots cannot simulate personal relationships in ways that could make a child emotionally dependent.