On 17 September 2026, the European Commission presented a draft of the EU Kids Act, a law designed to strengthen the protection of children online. The proposal would introduce uniform age rules for access to social networks and video platforms across the European Union.
Children under 13 would be barred from creating social media accounts. The only exception would be limited access to specially designed children’s video services through a parent’s or guardian’s account: no personalised feed, no search, and a screen-time cap of one hour a day.
For 13- and 14-year-olds, so-called mini-accounts would be allowed. A parent would create and control them. Parental tools would be switched on by default: a daily time limit of one hour, prior approval of new contacts, and a reduced set of features. An independent account could be opened only from the age of 15.
“Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their wellbeing in mind. Our Kids Act is reversing the burden of proof — it is for platforms to show they are safe by design. And we put parents back in the driving seat,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The rules would apply not only to Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, but also to video-sharing platforms, online games and AI chatbots used by people under 18. Platforms would have to disable infinite scroll, profile-based personalised recommendations, night-time notifications and messages from strangers. Minors’ profiles would be private by default, with geolocation, camera and microphone switched off. Large services would have to prove in advance that new features are safe.
Age would be verified through certified tools, including the European Digital Identity Wallet. Existing accounts belonging to children under 15 would have to be disabled within six months of the rules taking effect.
This is still a proposal. It must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states. Once adopted, the regulation would be binding across the Union and would replace fragmented national restrictions.
