European Commission to propose EU Kids Act banning social media for under 15s

The European Commission is preparing to unveil the EU Kids Act, a legislative proposal that would set an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open their own accounts on social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games, according to a draft legal document seen by several news organisations. The proposal is due to be published on Thursday, September 17, 2026, after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previews it in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

The draft has been reviewed by Reuters, AFP, Bloomberg, POLITICO and Euronews, and it marks the most sweeping attempt yet by Brussels to regulate how children interact with digital services. It combines age restrictions with safety-by-design obligations and a new enforcement architecture funded by fees on technology companies. The measure would apply to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as well as to AI chatbots and online games, though educational tools would be excluded.

Pressure has been building on the EU executive for months. France, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands are all considering or advancing national legislation on social media bans, and the push intensified after Australia banned under-16s from such platforms. In July, a group of experts convened by the EU executive released recommendations on child safety online, many of which are reflected in the draft.

The draft's approach is graduated rather than absolute. It does not set a single hard cutoff for all minors, but instead calls for different types of accounts to be accessible at different ages, with parental control at the centre of the system. The proposal also shifts responsibility onto technology companies to prove compliance, and it would charge them a supervisory fee to finance enforcement.

Key Facts

Reuters reported on September 14, 2026 that the plan is 'the most sweeping plan yet' to protect children from online dangers, covering Meta's Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, Google's YouTube and ChatGPT. The draft states that the EU's approach 'should allow minors to benefit from the huge potential of digital services, while protecting them from abuse and exploitation,' and adds that it 'needs to limit the access of tech companies to our children, and not the other way around.'

Under the tiered system, children under three would have no access at all to social media and other high-risk services. Those aged three to 13 could use fully parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services that meet strict safety standards. AFP reported on September 15, 2026 that minors aged 13 and 14 will have to ask their parents to set up 'introductory' accounts on social media, AI or gaming platforms, with limited features and strict screen time use. From the age of 15, teenagers can set up their own accounts. The draft says the law 'sets an EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an autonomous account at the age of 15.'

Euronews reported on September 15, 2026 that the bill bans design features such as infinite scrolling, artificial notifications and certain reward mechanisms, and requires recommender systems to avoid 'rabbit holes.' Children's accounts would remain private, with risky settings disabled by default and unknown users prevented from contacting minors. Companies such as Meta and Google would have to verify users' age when they open a new account, using an EU-wide age-verification app or national solutions. Online games platforms must verify age before children can download games.

POLITICO reported on September 14, 2026 that the proposal would apply to social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, AI chatbots and AI companions, but would exclude educational tools, and would come with education measures for children, parents and guardians. Commission spokesperson Olof Gil confirmed the act is coming on Thursday at a press conference on Monday. Services subject to the DSA's stricter regime would need Commission authorisation before rolling out new features affecting children.

Enforcement would be financed by a supervisory fee paid by technology companies. The Commission proposes to centralise enforcement for the highest-risk companies while leaving national regulators to oversee smaller firms, an architecture similar to that of the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act. The EU already has the Digital Services Act, which allows fines of up to 6 per cent of a company's annual global turnover. The draft document says the EU admits that 'existing rules do not suffice.'

Analysis

The EU Kids Act represents a decisive shift in European digital policy. It moves beyond the Digital Services Act's focus on transparency, risk assessments and content moderation toward prescriptive product-design rules and age gating. What this really means is that Brussels is now treating children's online safety as a product-safety issue, not merely a matter of platform governance. The draft places primary responsibility on companies, stating that 'technology companies bear the primary responsibility for making their products safe. Parents, not algorithms, should raise Europe's children.'

The enforcement architecture is just as important as the age limits. By centralising oversight of the highest-risk companies at the Commission and funding it through supervisory fees, the EU aims to avoid the fragmentation that has slowed national laws. France's previous ban was struck down by the Constitutional Council in mid-August as an unnecessary infringement on freedom of expression, and the French government has since submitted a reworked proposal to the European Commission. The bigger picture here is that Brussels wants a single rulebook that member states cannot easily undercut with weaker or inconsistent measures.

Yet the plan faces difficult questions. Age verification raises privacy concerns, and the draft's reliance on an EU-wide app or national solutions leaves critical technical details open. The graduated approach also means the law's practical effect depends on how platforms implement introductory accounts and parental controls. The Commission's admission that existing rules do not suffice is both the justification for the act and a concession that enforcement will be hard.

The exclusion of educational tools is an attempt to avoid harming schools and learning platforms, but the line between social media and educational services can blur, especially as AI chatbots are used for homework and tutoring. The final shape of the law will depend on negotiations between the European Parliament and member states, a process that could take years and could dilute the Commission's most ambitious provisions.

Why It Matters

For families across the 27-nation bloc, the act would change daily life. A 14-year-old in Germany, Italy or Poland would no longer be able to sign up for Instagram or TikTok without a parent creating a limited account. A 16-year-old would keep full access. The rules would also cover AI chatbots and AI companions, categories that have grown quickly and that the EU regards as risky for minors. Parents would gain more control, but they would also carry more responsibility for setting up and supervising accounts.

For technology companies, the compliance burden is substantial. Meta, Google, TikTok and others would need robust age-verification systems, redesigned feeds, and new parental controls. The supervisory fee adds a direct financial cost, on top of the risk of fines under the Digital Services Act of up to 6 per cent of annual global turnover. Services that fall under the DSA's stricter regime would face an additional layer of Commission authorisation before launching features that affect children.

Globally, the EU's move follows Australia's ban on under-16s and could set a benchmark for other regions considering similar restrictions. If the EU Kids Act becomes law, it would be the largest democratic bloc to impose an age floor for social media accounts, and it would likely influence debates in the United States, Britain and elsewhere. The proposal also signals that the EU is willing to regulate AI chatbots and online games alongside traditional social networks.

Next Up

Von der Leyen will outline the proposal in her State of the Union address on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and she will join EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen the following day to present the formal text. The bill itself is due to be published on Thursday, September 17, 2026. After that, the proposal must be negotiated between the European Parliament and member states before it can become law.

The timeline is uncertain, and the final text could differ from the draft. The Commission spokesperson, Olof Gil, confirmed the act is coming on Thursday. For now, the leaked document offers the clearest picture yet of how Brussels intends to keep under-15s off autonomous social media accounts and to force platforms to design for safety first.