European Commission prepares parental consent for children under 15 on social media

The European Commission is preparing to unveil the "EU Kids Act" bill, which restricts minors' access to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube and mandates parental consent for those under 15.

Scope of the Legal Regulation

The European Commission is preparing to publicly announce a new legislative proposal restricting minors' access to social media and video-sharing platforms. The draft text covers a broad area, including video games and artificial intelligence chatbots.

According to confidential documents obtained by Euronews, children under the age of 15 will be banned from opening accounts without parental consent, and technology companies will be required to make their services safe by design.

Rules by Age Groups

Under the proposal, children under three years old will be completely banned from using social media and high-risk services. Children between three and 13 will be able to access appropriate services under adult supervision.

Young people between 13 and 15 will be able to use social media platforms only with limited features and under parental control. Parental consent will not be required for youth between 15 and 18.

Obligations for Technology Companies

Companies like Meta and Google will be held responsible for verifying users' ages during new account creation and on existing accounts. This verification process will be carried out through joint or national solutions.

Features such as infinite scrolling, artificial notifications, and algorithmic recommendation systems that create a rabbit hole effect will be banned. Risky settings will be kept turned off by default.

Implementation and Audit Process

The Commission proposes shifting the burden of proof regarding compliance with child safety rules onto technology companies. Services posing systemic risks will obtain approval before introducing new features.

A fee will be collected from technology companies to finance these audits. Educational and public institutional services will be kept outside the scope of the regulation.