Technology and Science · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Ursula Von Der Leyen Proposes EU Kids Act Social Media Ban Under 13
EU proposes ban on social networks for under-13s across member states. Ages 13-15 face one-hour daily access limits via supervised accounts.
Whether rules extend beyond social media apps.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: age limits include other services like AI chatbots and games.
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BBC
“The restrictions would not just affect well-known apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat but also YouTube and other video sharing platforms as well as AI chatbots and online games.”Read the original ↗
Gulf News
“Children aged 13 to 15 could face one-hour daily limits under proposed age-based rules European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the European Union plans to bar children under 13 from using social media”Read the original ↗
BBC frames the rules as covering AI chatbots and games, while others mainly frame them as social-media access limits.
EU Kids Act unveiled
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plans to bar children under 13 from using social media and to restrict access for older minors as part of the proposed EU Kids Act.
“bar children under 13 from using social media”
In her State of the Union address in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said, “No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15,” and she described a tiered approach that would allow “mini accounts” under parental supervision for children aged 13 to under 15.
Gulf News reported that the daily use of those mini accounts would be capped at one hour, while users aged 15 to under 18 would face safety measures built into platforms by design.G
The Irish Times said the commission’s plans would require tech giants to provide “safer” feeds for the accounts of 16- and 17-year-olds, and it described the proposal as an EU-wide age limit debate framed around “when social media has access to our children and teenagers.”
Burden of proof shifts
Von der Leyen told the European Parliament that the rules would shift responsibility onto technology companies, saying, “We are reversing the burden of proof. Now, platforms will have to prove to us that they are safe.”
The Guardian reported that von der Leyen confirmed the EU would move forward with plans for an under 13s social media ban, and she said big tech platforms needed to prove the safety of their products.
CNN said the European Commission would on Thursday propose the Kids Act, and it quoted von der Leyen’s line, “Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not Big Tech.”
The Irish Times added that the commission’s approach would require platforms to demonstrate their platforms were safe for minors before being allowed on the European market, rather than regulators launching lengthy investigations to prove certain features are harmful.
Digital Fairness Act and AI
The EU Kids Act is presented alongside a broader Digital Fairness Act, with the Guardian reporting that von der Leyen promised the commission’s Digital Fairness Act would tackle features such as addictive design that she said was “harming everyone.”
“harming everyone”
The Irish Times said the commission’s plans would wrap in large chunks of separate legislation, including the Digital Fairness Act that Michael McGrath had been preparing to regulate “infinitive scrolling and other addictive features.”
Gizmodo reported that the EU plan could go beyond social media to impact other online services like some video games and AI chatbots, and it said the draft bill would reportedly bring restrictions on algorithmic recommender systems and addictive design features like infinite scrolling.
In a separate warning about technology risks, the Irish Times said the commission president’s thinking was shaped by an expert group and that the proposal would rely on an age verification app it is developing alongside an EU “digital identity wallet” scheme already in the works.