New Social Media Regulation from the European Union to Protect Children
The European Commission has announced the EU Children's Act draft, aiming to protect children online. The plan introduces a ban for those under 13 and parental controls.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced the EU Children's Act, which bans social media for children under 13 and mandates secure accounts on platforms in order to protect children from online dangers.
Scope of the EU Children's Act
The comprehensive plan announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aims to protect children from the dangers of the digital world. Within the framework of the draft, it is planned to introduce a social media ban for children under 13.
Similar Practices Around the World
This regulation came to the agenda as a result of concerns regarding the effects of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This step was taken following similar initiatives in Australia, the United Kingdom, China, India, and Turkey.
Rules by Age Groups
According to the draft expected to become law, accounts of children aged between 13 and 15 will be subject to parental control. Platforms and artificial intelligence tools targeting children under 18 will be bound by strict rules.
Banned Features and Tools
With the regulation, addictive features, recommendation feeds based on user profiling, and elements such as infinite scrolling will be banned. Artificial intelligence companions and chat bots will be kept turned off by default.
Obligations of Platforms
Online platforms will be responsible for developing safe algorithms for children. They will also be mandated to provide easy-to-use parental controls and tools to block users.