Computer Forum
Fortnite (Image © Epic Games)
The draft bill is driven by concerns regarding the mental health and healthy development of children and adolescents. Data show that children who start using social media before the age of 10 spend significantly more time in front of a screen on weekends. On average, this amounts to 7.5 hours, compared to an average of 5.7 hours for those who do not start using social media until after age 14. Other risks cited include social isolation, poor concentration, learning difficulties, and exposure to disturbing content.
The law specifically addresses the risks associated with generative AI, including the spread of deepfakes and the danger of chatbots providing harmful advice. It also highlights the misuse of personal data by major social media platforms and their integrated AI services, noting that the current legal framework is insufficient to provide adequate protection.
Under the EU Kids Act, access to digital services would be tiered based on age:
- Ages 0–3: Access to social media is completely prohibited.
- Ages 3–13: Access is permitted only through accounts under full parental control.
- Ages 13–15: Users may use starter accounts. These are restricted by daily screen time limits and a maximum number of contacts—exclusively with peers—with supervision provided via a separate app for parents or guardians.
- Ages 15–18: Users may switch to fully independent accounts for video platforms and social media.
For the gaming industry, the legislation would mandate age recommendations for each title. These would be strictly enforced through age verification systems in app stores at the time of download. In addition, social media services must have their safety policies reviewed by authorities before they are made available to minors.
The proposal also introduces “safe design” principles that service providers must adhere to. These include avoiding addictive design features and regulating recommendation algorithms to prevent “doom scrolling” or the “rabbit hole” effect. Additional requirements include account settings set to “private” by default, protection against unwanted contact from strangers, simplified reporting mechanisms for harmful content, and the introduction of age-appropriate parental controls.
To enforce these requirements, the EU Kids Act would make age verification mandatory for all new social media accounts. This process must comply with data protection regulations and would be based on an official EU age verification tool or an equivalent system provided by authorities. In addition, social media companies would have to pay a supervisory fee to the European Commission to fund the enforcement and monitoring of these regulations.
The EU Kids Act is still in the draft stage and has not yet been adopted by the European Commission.
