The European Commission is proposing to bar children under 13 from platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, and to curb addictive features like infinite scrolling. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, unveiled the plan at a press conference, saying it responds to growing concerns about social media's impact on children's mental health. "Today, our children are interacting with some of the most sophisticated technologies ever created, and they were not designed with their well-being and development in mind," she said. The proposed reform to the EU Kids Act "will establish clear boundaries in the digital world, just as we do every day in the real world," she added.
The initiative would give parents greater control over the accounts of young people aged 13 to 15. Social media accounts, video streaming services, online video games, and chatbots aimed at users under 18 would be subject to stricter regulations. These include banning features considered addictive, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay content, as well as restricting algorithm-driven recommendations, personalized profiling, reward-based engagement mechanisms, and unsolicited contact from strangers.
The European Parliament is also demanding that platforms implement child-safe designs and algorithms, while providing easy-to-use parental controls. Major technology companies would have to strengthen their age-verification systems for anyone seeking to open an account. They would also be required to dedicate greater resources to content supervision and moderation.
However, CCIA Europe, a non-profit organization representing major technology companies in Europe, including Google and Meta, warned about potential privacy risks stemming from the proposal and pointed to "conflicting requirements" under other European Union laws. "Collecting age information, identity credentials, and data linking children to their parents or guardians on this scale would undoubtedly create an attractive target for cybercriminals," said CCIA Europe Director Daniel Friedlaender. "The Kids Act creates legal overlap and regulatory duplication that ultimately weakens protections for children and consumers," he added.
The proposal will be debated among EU member states and the European Parliament in the coming months before it can become law. Similar measures have been introduced in Australia, the United Kingdom, China, India, Turkey, and several European countries.
Source: www.dw.com