EU Proposes Sweeping Digital Safety Rules for Children Under 15
The European Union is preparing to introduce sweeping new digital safety rules aimed at protecting children under 15 from online harm. The proposed framework, part of an EU Kids Act, would restrict under-15s from accessing social media, AI chatbots, video-sharing platforms, and online games independently.
Children aged 15 and older could create their own accounts on these platforms, while those between 13 and 14 would need to access them through parent-created accounts with strict controls. Children between 3 and 12 would be limited to child-friendly services under parental control, while children under 3 would have no online presence.
The proposal also targets companies like Meta Platforms (META), Google (GOOG) (GOOGL), OpenAI's ChatGPT, and TikTok, requiring them to address addictive designs and potentially harmful recommendation feeds. Social media and video-sharing platforms would need to verify users' ages when creating accounts, while gaming platforms would have to conduct age checks before allowing games to be downloaded.
The proposed restrictions come amid growing concerns over children's online safety, with 94% of people in Switzerland supporting stricter safeguards for kids on social media, according to a survey by the Mercator Foundation. The EU is expected to present its proposal this week, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen potentially previewing parts of it in her State of the Union address.