The European Union is considering new regulations that would impose fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global sales on online platforms that fail to prevent children from accessing their services. This legislation aims to establish an EU-wide minimum age limit for social media and other digital platforms, targeting users under the age of 15.
The draft law, circulated by the European Commission, applies to a wide range of online services including social networks, video-sharing platforms, app stores, online games, and artificial intelligence (AI) companions such as conversational chatbots. It marks the bloc’s first effort to set a unified legal age threshold for access to digital platforms.
Under the proposed rules, children aged three to 13 would only be allowed to access services that are specifically designed for them and require full parental supervision. Those aged 13 and 14 could open accounts on mainstream platforms but with significant restrictions, including daily time limits and parental controls. An “autonomous account,” defined as one operated without parental oversight, would be allowed only for users aged 15 and older.
The legislative framework, informally referred to as the Kids Act, draws inspiration from existing EU regulatory measures such as the Digital Services Act and the AI Act. Both include enforcement provisions that permit fines reaching up to 6% of global annual sales, though the EU has historically imposed penalties below this maximum. Additionally, platforms would be required to pay a supervisory fee capped at 0.03% of their global revenue to fund the Commission’s oversight activities.
The draft emphasizes the need for platforms to adopt safety mechanisms designed to reduce harmful content, abuse, and addictive user behaviors. However, the details of these safety features remain subject to further revisions before the final publication.
The move follows pressure from EU member states seeking harmonized rules amid a global trend toward limiting children's access to social media. Several countries within the bloc have begun introducing their own national restrictions, while countries outside Europe, such as Australia, have enacted similar measures in recent years.
The draft legislation excludes certain categories of online services from its scope, including online encyclopedias, educational platforms, government service apps, and software repositories. The objective is to balance child protection with access to valuable informational and public resources.
The European Commission has not yet finalized the proposal, and further consultations are expected as debates continue on how best to safeguard children’s online experiences while respecting privacy and innovation concerns.