The European Union plans to prevent children under 13 from using social media as part of a proposed set of age-based protections for minors online, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her State of the Union address.
Von der Leyen said the European Commission would take a gradual approach, with different levels of protection depending on a child’s age. The Commission is due to formally present the proposed EU Kids Act on September 17.
Under the plan outlined by von der Leyen, children under 13 would not be permitted to use social media. Those aged 13 to under 15 would be allowed to use only limited-feature “mini accounts” created and supervised by parents or guardians, with usage restricted to one hour a day.
For users aged 15 to 18, platforms would be required to implement safe-by-design measures. Von der Leyen also said technology companies would have to demonstrate that their platforms are safe for children.
The announcement came during the European Commission president’s annual address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 16. She said the proposed rules were part of broader efforts to strengthen protections for children and teenagers in digital environments.
The Commission’s proposal follows work by a special panel on child safety online. A June 2026 European Commission report said young people surveyed across Europe spent an average of 4.5 hours online on school days and 6.1 hours a day at weekends, while 14% of adolescents reported spending more than 10 hours a day on screens.
The proposed EU Kids Act will still need to go through the EU legislative process before any new requirements become law. Details of the final proposal and its implementation will depend on the formal legislation and subsequent negotiations.
