EU KIDS Act
By: Sarah Pearce and Veronica Muratori
On 17 September 2026, the European Commission presented the EU KIDS Act, aimed at strengthening the protection of minors online and reducing fragmentation across Member States.
The draft introduces a graduated approach for accessing social networking services and video-sharing platforms. Children under 13 would not be able to access social media services, although child-friendly video-sharing services may still be used through an account managed by a parent or guardian. Minors aged 13 to under 15 may access age-appropriate services through parent-managed “mini accounts”, with limited functionality and safeguards such as restricted contacts and time limits. From the age of 15, minors would be able to create and manage their own social media account, subject to protections applicable to users under 18.
The proposal would also impose safety-by-design obligations on services accessible to minors, including social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, app stores, operating systems, AI companions and chatbots. These obligations would cover protective default settings, restrictions on addictive or manipulative design features, limitations on unsolicited contact from strangers, private profiles by default and safeguards for profiling-based recommender systems.
Specific rules would apply to AI companions and chatbots, including measures intended to prevent emotional dependency and inappropriate use of memory or previous interactions with children. The framework would also require implementation of proportionate, privacy-preserving age-assurance mechanisms, such as the EU age verification app or other recognised tools that verify age without retaining unnecessary identity documents or biometric data.
Enforcement would build on existing structures under the Digital Services Act and, for certain AI systems, the AI Act. Depending on the service and the infringement, penalties could reach 6% of the provider’s worldwide annual turnover. While the proposal’s final scope and timing remain uncertain, it materially expands compliance expectations for digital services used by, or accessible to, minors.