Full name: Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL EU KIDS ACT – ‘EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy’

(Link to original text)

Type: Regulation

Objective and key elements:

• Intends to make internet safer for children by setting the service providers, e.g. social media platforms and online game providers, obligations they must abide by
• Age restrictions: gradual approach by age to giving access to social media to minors
  • No social media accounts for children under 13, parent-supervised accounts at 13 and 14, independent accounts from 15
• Safety by design: services provided for minors must be designed with the minors’ safety in mind
  • This includes e.g. a ban on addictive design and requirements to optimise recommender systems not based on engagement but rather safety and quality and to inform a minor user clearly before an economic transaction takes place on the platform
• Age verification: to abide by these obligations set for the service providers, they must verify users’ ages using acceptable means to do it
  • For example, the verification method used must always protect the user’s personal data

Relevant to: Providers of online social networking services, video-sharing platform services, software application stores, online games, AI companions and operating systems.

Status: The proposal was adopted by the Commission on 17 September 2026.

Next steps: The proposal is currently under consideration by the European Parliament and the Council.

Documents:

• The proposal of the Commission is available here.

Guidance:

• European Commission: The KIDS Act explained

(Last updated 16 October 2026)