EU Plans Social Media Ban for Children Under 13

Families in Denmark and Sweden may soon see strict social media limits for children. The European Union plans to ban social media for children under age 13. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the draft proposal in Strasbourg. Denmark actively pushed for these bloc-wide rules to protect young people online.

Under the plan, teenagers aged 13 to 14 will need supervised mini accounts. Parents must set up these accounts and limit use to one hour daily. Platforms must also use safe designs for teenagers aged 15 to 17. Addictive features like infinite scrolling will be banned for minors.

Tech chief Henna Virkkunen will formally present the draft KIDS Act on Thursday. Platforms breaking the rules could face fines up to six percent of turnover. Draft documents show the restrictions may also cover online games and AI chatbots. Consumer groups warned that age check apps could raise privacy concerns. The draft needs approval from EU capitals and the parliament over coming months. The Local reported the news.