European Commission Set To Present EU Kids Act Restricting SNS And AI Chatbots For Minors
The framework would put age verification and design limits on services that have so far been governed by national rules or platform policy, with AI chatbots and games pulled into the same scope as social media.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on September 16, 2026 that SNS use would be barred for under-13s, with 13- and 14-year-olds allowed restricted accounts under parental consent. The EU Kids Act, which the Commission is scheduled to present on September 17, would also cover video-sharing services, online games, AI chatbots, and AI companions, with age verification and design rules.
The draft outline reported by Reuters and the Financial Times goes further than a login age gate. Children aged 3 to 12 would use only child-oriented services meeting strict safety standards, through accounts fully managed by parents, while under-3s would be barred outright. Providers would have to avoid designs meant to hold users for long periods and feeds carrying harmful content, and to supply reporting tools and parental controls. Age verification would be required when new accounts are created on SNS and video-sharing services, with a similar check considered at the point a game is downloaded.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.