EU Tightens Social Media Access Rules for Children

(MENAFN) The European Commission introduces the EU KIDS Act on Thursday, proposing tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media and establishing a common framework for account creation by minors across the bloc.

Under the proposal, social media platforms would be prevented from allowing children under 13 to access their services, while minors would generally have to reach 15 before opening an account independently.

"The proposal prohibits social media platforms from accessing children under the age of 13 and sets an EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an account of their own at the age of 15," a written statement noted.

The framework would allow children aged 13 and 14 to use limited “mini accounts” created by their parents or guardians. These accounts would be accessed through the guardian’s own account rather than being independently managed by the child.

"This would allow them to access age-appropriate social media and video-sharing platforms," the statement added.

The proposed rules also call for these services to include specific protections on mini accounts, including restrictions on interactions with other users and limits on daily screen time.

"This would allow them to access age-appropriate social media and video-sharing platforms," the statement added.

For children between the ages of 3 and 13, the proposal would prevent access to conventional social media platforms while permitting guardian-managed accounts to provide access to "specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services."

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