The European Commission on September 17 adopted the EU KIDS Act, a legislative proposal that prohibits social media platforms from providing access to children under 13 and restricts autonomous account creation on social networking services, video-sharing platforms, and AI chatbots for minors under 153,4. The proposal, formally titled "EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy," covers AI systems alongside traditional social platforms, marking the bloc's first attempt to regulate minors' direct access to generative AI services under a single age-gated framework1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previewed the legislation during her State of the Union address on September 165. "Our KIDS Act is reversing the burden of proof — it is for platforms to show they are safe by design," von der Leyen said.
What the proposal requires
The EU KIDS Act sets a harmonized EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open their own accounts on covered services, while imposing a blanket ban on access for children under 13. Social networks would be required to deploy age verification tools to enforce the under-15 restriction2. The act reverses the burden of proof: service providers must demonstrate that their offerings are age-appropriate and safe by design, rather than regulators having to prove harm after the fact.
The scope extends beyond social media. According to the Financial Times, the act covers chatbots alongside social media. The Commission's own description references "risky digital services and AI systems" as targets of the proposal. Politico reported ahead of the formal adoption that the legislation would set minimum ages for accessing social media, video platforms, and games6.
Harmonization and enforcement
By establishing a single age threshold across all 27 member states, the proposal replaces a patchwork of national rules, aiming to remove obstacles to the Digital Single Market and ensure uniform protection for minors across the bloc. The enforcement structure will follow a model similar to existing EU digital regulations, according to documents reviewed by Politico.
The proposal must still be negotiated and adopted by EU lawmakers and member states before it can take effect.
ANALYSIS The inclusion of AI chatbots alongside social media and video platforms is the element most consequential for AI companies. Providers of consumer-facing generative AI services operating in the EU would need to implement age verification and demonstrate safety-by-design compliance, adding a regulatory layer on top of obligations already imposed by the EU AI Act. The reversed burden of proof could force AI providers to conduct and disclose age-appropriateness assessments before launching or maintaining services accessible to minors.