Two accounts of the EU Kids Act draft disagree about what under-13s may access

Platforms will have safe design obligations for users up to 18, with the Union planning to tackle addictive design further in the upcoming Digital Fairness Act in Autumn.

Children aged 13 to 15 will not be allowed personal social media accounts but will be able to access social media through mini accounts set up and supervised by parents and guardians, with limited features, for one hour per day.

The draft states that services must switch off features such as infinite scrolling and artificial notifications.

The law will require strict age checks on social media, video platforms, app stores, online games, AI companions, and chatbots.

"A key issue is how to carry out the age checks and it's not straightforward," Joanna Conway, digital regulation partner at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, told WIRED.

Children in Australia have widely been able to circumvent the country's under-16s ban on social media access.

The draft states that "technology companies bear primary responsibility for making their products safe".

Companies that offer AI companions and chatbot services will have to avoid designs that encourage unhealthy emotional attachments or expose children to harmful interactions.

Platforms could use the Commission's age verification app, which Brussels said was ready in April, and which uses zero-knowledge proofs allowing users to prove they are old enough without sharing their identity documents.

"Cleaning up that mess, getting everyone on the same page, then running through the EU legislative process," will probably take until 2029, according to Ashurst Perkins Coie technology lawyer Arnav Joshi.

MacRumors' report on the Kids Act draft is dated 16 September 2026.

France's top court struck down a ban on social media for under-15s last month because it infringed upon freedom of expression.

Estonia and Belgium oppose age-based bans in full, the European Parliament had earlier called for an age limit of 16, and the proposal must have the support of both sides before it can become law.

The EU introduced an app earlier in the year so members can prove they are over 18 and access adult-restricted sites, which it says can be applied to other age groups.

Joshi believes companies will welcome the clarity and simplicity provided by a single set of EU-wide rules.

17 of the bloc's 27 member states are already negotiating or preparing draft legislation to protect minors online, including by setting out a minimum age to access certain services.

The tiered approach is designed to placate any judicial challenges by being proportionate, with Joshi calling it a rare example of where "the EU law, by not introducing a blanket ban, is perhaps even a little bit more permissive than others", referencing the sweeping social media bans in the UK and Australia.

Joshi's 2029 estimate is roughly three years after the mid-September 2026 reporting of the announcement.

Joshi, who advises global technology companies on children's online safety, said parental monitoring could be "problematic", warning: "anything that has deep dive, God-mode style parental access can have a bit of a chilling effect on how children actually use that service and could have issues in terms of their own right to privacy."

Ten of the EU's 27 member states are not negotiating or preparing draft legislation to protect minors online.

Ursula von der Leyen announced a total ban on social media for children under 13 in Wednesday's State of the Union speech, where she set out the Union's priorities for the year ahead.

According to a draft proposal seen by the Financial Times, children under 13 will only be allowed access with supervision from a parent, while children between 13 and 15 will need parental consent to create accounts with parental controls and other restrictions like time limits.

Affected companies will be required to verify the age of users with an official age verification app.