European Union Proposal for Social Media Ban for Under-13s
A new regulatory framework announced by the European Union introduces age limits and platform rules aimed at enhancing children's digital safety.
The European Union has announced a comprehensive legislative proposal named the 'EU Kids Act' to protect children's mental health and prevent the negative impacts of social media.
EU Kids Act Proposal and Age Limits
The EU Kids Act bill announced by the European Union aims to introduce age limits to ensure children's safety on digital platforms. If the bill is adopted, children under the age of 13 will be completely blocked from accessing social media platforms.
For 13 and 14-year-olds to use social media, it will only be possible by opening limited accounts under parental supervision and control. For completely independent social media use, a minimum age requirement of 15 will be sought.
Rationale and Emphasis on Mental Health
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen particularly drew attention to the negative effects of social media on developing brains and personalities. She clearly stated that they will never allow technology companies to play with children's mental health.
Platform Architecture and Algorithm Regulations
The new regulation is not limited to age limits alone, but also directly targets the operational architecture of social media platforms. All recommendation algorithms that draw young users into harmful content will be completely removed from the systems.
Additionally, infinite scrolling features, late-night push notifications, and unwanted messages from strangers will be blocked. Artificial intelligence bots will be kept turned off by default and structured in a non-addictive manner.
Screen Time and Child-Friendly Accounts
Daily screen time for users under 13 and in the 13-14 age group will be limited to a maximum of 1 hour. Within this scope, child-friendly mini accounts and supervised sub-accounts can be offered by the platforms.
Age Verification and Penalties
While platforms will be mandated to establish strict age verification systems, it was stated that identification documents or sensitive biometric data will not be stored. Heavy penalties of up to 6 percent of global annual turnover under the Digital Services Act could be applied to platforms that fail to comply with these established rules.