The European Commission wants to significantly tighten access to social networks for children and teenagers across the EU. As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on September 16, 2026, during her State of the European Union address, the use of social media platforms is to be completely banned for children under the age of 13. Noticeable restrictions are also planned for adolescents aged 13 to 15.
KIDS ACT: Requirements for Accounts and Screen Time
The measures are part of a planned legislative package dubbed the KIDS ACT. The initiative aims to provide better protection for minors against the dangers and addictive mechanisms of digital platforms. Under the Commission’s plans, teenagers between 13 and 15 will no longer be permitted to operate a fully autonomous user account.
Instead, this age group would only be granted access via accounts set up and supervised by legal guardians. Such accounts will feature restricted functionality and be tied to daily usage limits. The concrete legislative text is expected to be presented shortly after the announcement, after which the European Parliament and EU member states will deliberate on the details.
The Age Verification Dilemma
On paper, major platforms already specify a minimum age of 13 today. However, critics argue that platform operators fail to enforce this age restriction consistently.
What Does the Proposal Mean for Users?
For families and platform operators across Germany and the wider EU, the KIDS ACT would introduce mandatory verification mechanisms. If adopted in this form, platforms would be required to establish reliable technical methods to verify user ages. In addition, parents would need to take an active role in managing accounts for 13- to 15-year-olds.
Because this is currently a legislative proposal from the European Commission, users do not need to adjust any settings at this time. The legislative initiative must first pass through the standard European legislative process.
Sources: Stadt-Bremerhaven, Detuschlandfunk.de
