Europe is moving toward tougher rules for how children use social media and other online services.
The European Union is preparing a new EU Kids Act that could restrict children under 15 from independently accessing social media, video-sharing platforms and some other digital services. The proposal is part of a wider effort to make the internet safer for children while putting more responsibility on technology companies.
The plans come as concerns continue to grow about children’s exposure to harmful content, addictive platform designs, cyberbullying, online predators and other risks associated with spending large amounts of time online.
The move is part of a wider series of major policy changes shaping Europe and the rest of the world in 2026, many of which we covered in our guide to The Biggest Global Events Shaping 2026.
What Is Europe Proposing?
Under the proposal currently being prepared by the European Commission, children under 15 would face restrictions on creating independent accounts on social media and video-sharing platforms without parental approval.
The plan would use different levels of access depending on a child’s age. Children under 13 could be limited to child-friendly services under parental control, while 13- and 14-year-olds could potentially use certain services with parental involvement. From age 15, teenagers would be able to create their own accounts.
The proposal could affect some of the world’s biggest digital platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Importantly, these measures have not yet become an EU-wide law. The European Commission still has to formally present the proposal, after which it would need to go through negotiations with EU member states and the European Parliament.
Why Is the EU Concerned About Children Online?
European officials and child-safety advocates are increasingly concerned about how online platforms are designed and how young users interact with them.
The EU has identified risks including cyberbullying, exposure to harmful material, online predators, dangerous challenges and addictive algorithms. Existing EU rules, including the Digital Services Act, already require platforms to take measures to protect minors, but there is no single EU-wide minimum age for social media access.
The concern is also supported by research into how early children begin using social platforms.
A 2026 European survey found strong public concern about children’s social media use and gathered views from both teenagers and adults about possible minimum-age restrictions.
Social Media Is Not the Only Target
The proposed EU Kids Act could go beyond Instagram, TikTok and similar platforms.
The current plan also covers other digital services that could present risks to children, including AI chatbots, video games and video-sharing platforms. Companies could be required to introduce stronger safety measures and design their services with children’s protection in mind.
That is particularly significant because children are increasingly interacting with AI systems as well as traditional social networks.
Instead of simply asking parents to monitor their children’s online activity, the EU wants technology companies to take greater responsibility for how their products affect younger users.
Age Verification Will Become a Major Issue
One of the biggest challenges will be determining how platforms can reliably establish a user’s age.
If an online service is required to prevent under-15s from creating independent accounts, simply asking users to enter their date of birth is unlikely to be enough.
The EU has already been working on age-verification technology, including a digital solution intended to help online platforms establish whether users meet age requirements while limiting the amount of personal information they need to reveal.
However, age verification raises its own questions about privacy and data protection.
A system designed to protect children should not create a situation where users have to hand over excessive amounts of personal information just to access ordinary online services.
France and Other European Countries Are Already Moving
The EU’s proposal comes as individual European countries have begun introducing or considering their own restrictions.
France became the first EU member state to adopt legislation banning social-media access for children under 15, with the measure applying to new accounts from September 2026 and existing accounts from January 2027.
Other European countries have also explored different approaches to children’s access to social media.
Greece has been moving toward restrictions for under-15s, while Spain has considered a higher minimum age. Other countries, including Denmark, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, have also discussed or introduced measures aimed at limiting young people’s exposure to social platforms.
The different national approaches are one reason an EU-wide framework could become important.
Supporters Say Children Need Stronger Protection
Supporters of stricter age limits argue that children should not be expected to deal with the risks of today’s social-media environment on their own.
They point to cyberbullying, harmful content, online exploitation, addictive platform designs and excessive screen time as reasons governments should intervene.
The European Commission has also stressed that children should still be able to benefit from digital technology, including learning, communication and access to information. The challenge is finding a balance between those benefits and protection from online harm.
The goal, therefore, is not necessarily to remove children completely from the internet.
Instead, European policymakers want to create an environment where children can use digital services in ways that are more appropriate for their age.
Critics Raise Concerns About Privacy and Freedom
Not everyone agrees that age restrictions are the best solution.
One major concern is privacy.
If platforms have to verify the age of every user, they could potentially collect more information about users than they currently do. Policymakers will therefore need to ensure that age verification does not create a new privacy problem.
There are also questions about freedom of expression and access to information.
Children use the internet for much more than entertainment. They communicate with friends, research school projects, discover educational material and participate in online communities.
A blanket restriction could therefore have unintended consequences if it prevents young people from accessing legitimate and useful services.
Will the Rules Apply to Everyone Under 15?
Not necessarily in the same way.
The proposal being prepared by the European Commission is based on an age-tiered approach, meaning younger children and teenagers could have different levels of access.
Children under 13 would face the strongest restrictions, while 13- and 14-year-olds could potentially access certain services with parental approval or controlled accounts. Teenagers aged 15 and above would have greater independence.
This approach is intended to recognise that a young child and a 14-year-old do not necessarily have the same level of maturity or digital needs.
What Happens Next?
The European Commission is expected to formally present the EU Kids Act proposal this week.
But the announcement will only be the beginning.
The proposal will have to go through the EU legislative process, where member states and the European Parliament can debate, amend and potentially change its provisions.
That means the final rules could look different from the proposal currently being reported.
For technology companies, however, the direction is becoming increasingly clear: European regulators expect platforms to do more to protect young users.
What Could This Mean for Social Media Platforms?
If the rules eventually become law, major platforms could have to redesign parts of their services.
Age verification could become more common. Parental controls could become stronger, while privacy settings for young users could be stricter by default.
Platforms may also have to reconsider features such as recommendation algorithms, notifications and infinite scrolling if regulators determine that they encourage harmful or excessive use among children.
This could represent a significant change in how social-media companies design their products for younger audiences.
Europe Is Trying to Set a New Standard
Europe’s move reflects a much wider international debate about children’s relationship with technology.
Australia has already introduced one of the world’s strongest social-media age restrictions, while countries including the United Kingdom and several European nations are considering different approaches.
The EU’s potential legislation could become particularly significant because of the size of Europe’s digital market.
If major technology companies have to change their products to comply with European rules, some of those changes could eventually influence how their services operate elsewhere.