EU KIDS Act Propose Age-Dependent Restrictions on Social Media Use

Update (29.10.2026): News: European Commission freezes decisions on national social media bans (Rapporteur)

Update (27.10.2026): News: European capitals push back against Brussels over national social media bans (POLITICO)

Update (22.10.2026): News: EU considers banning beauty filters and social media likes for children (Rapporteur)

Update (12.10.2026): Commentary: EU social media ban proposal should not be dismissed despite concerns over its implementation (Rapporteur⁠)

Update (21.09.2026): Analysis: Can the EU protect children from social media harms? (Euronews⁠)

Quick Brief:

The European Commission introduces a new KIDS Act to shape an age-dependent approach to social media use for children in the EU

Under 13: children will not be able to access social media services. They can still use child-friendly video-sharing services through an account managed by a parent or guardian.

Age 13 to under 15: children can use social media through a mini account managed by a parent or guardian, with limited features and a time restriction of 1 hour per day.

From age 15 onwards: children will be able to open and manage their own social media account.

Source: European Commission, EUObserver

Further Sources:

13.07.2026 – Analysis: EU expert panel recommends banning social media access for children under 13 (European Commission⁠)