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EU Plans Kids Act to Restrict Social Media, Games and AI Chatbots for Under-15s

September 16, 2026 at 04:39 EDT

Policy & Regulation
AI Agents

The European Union is preparing a Kids Act that would sharply limit how children under 15 use social media, video-sharing platforms, online games and AI chatbots, making independent accounts unavailable without parental approval. The proposal, previewed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the European Union address, would put new safety-by-design duties on technology companies and extend the child-safety debate from feeds and videos to AI companions.

Sep. 16, 2026 · European Union

A Kids Act for feeds, games and AI chatbots

The EU plan would restrict under-15 access to independent social media accounts and extend child-safety duties to online games and AI companions.

Minimum age for independent access

13-15

Restricted accounts under parental control

Maximum DSA fine by global annual turnover

Age bands in the proposed access model

0-2

Barred from high-risk services

3-12

Child-friendly access with adult supervision

13-14

Restricted accounts under parental control

15-17

Access with safety-by-design protections

Each block represents one year in the age band.

What platforms would have to change

Verify ageUse EU or national tools to check eligibility.

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Limit defaultsPrivate accounts, fewer risky settings and contact limits.

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Prove safetyHigher-risk services face oversight before child-facing features launch.

Supporters' case

Parents get enforceable defaults against addictive design, recommendation rabbit holes and unsupervised AI companions.

Open questions

Age checks must avoid privacy, security and access problems while preserving legitimate learning and expression.

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