EU Adopts Social Media Ban Proposal for Children Under 13

05:25 AM EDT, 09/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The European Commission on Thursday adopted a social media ban proposal for children under the age of 13 as part of efforts to bolster the online safety of minors across the European Union. The EU Kids Act sets 15 as the minimum age for children opening an account of their own, and introduces a requirement for parental supervision for children aged between 13 and 15 through "mini accounts" set up by parents or guardians, according to a same-day release. The proposal also includes a series of obligations for service providers offering social media services, video sharing, online video games, and artificial intelligence companions and chatbots to users under 18 years old, with platforms also mandated to show that their services are safe by design.