Key Takeaways
- EU draft law sets a minimum age of 13 for most social‑media services and tighter limits for AI assistants
- Platforms will have to prove safety and implement EU‑wide age‑verification before minors can sign up
- Legislation must be transposed by Member States by mid‑2028, with EU Parliament vote due in 2027
The Local reports that on Thursday the European Commission presented draft legislation setting age‑based restrictions for children accessing social‑media platforms, online games and generative‑AI assistants, and requiring providers to demonstrate that their services are safe before minors are allowed to register. The proposals introduce a baseline age of 13 for most social‑media services, higher thresholds for targeted advertising and specialised rules for AI‑driven tools, while also mandating robust age‑verification and safety‑by‑design mechanisms before any minor can create an account. The initiative builds on the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, extending the EU’s child‑online safety agenda across the single market. By establishing EU‑wide standards, the Commission aims to prevent a regulatory patchwork that currently forces companies to navigate 27 national regimes. The draft also aligns with recent Council conclusions on protecting minors from harmful digital content and complements EU efforts on AI governance under the forthcoming AI Act. Cross‑border enforcement will be coordinated through national digital‑service authorities, with the European Data Protection Board overseeing compliance. If adopted, the rules will reshape how platforms design onboarding flows, prompting a wave of age‑verification solutions and content‑filtering tools. Businesses operating in the bloc must adapt by mid‑2028, when the Commission expects Member States to transpose the legislation. For families, the measures promise clearer safeguards, though critics warn about potential barriers to legitimate use. The European Parliament is slated to debate the text in early 2027, with a final vote expected later that year.
Source: The Local. Read the original report ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
What age will children be allowed to create a social‑media account under the new EU rules?
The draft sets a baseline age of 13 for most social‑media platforms; younger children would be barred unless the service is expressly designed for them and meets additional safety criteria.
How are companies expected to verify a user’s age across all EU member states?
Providers must implement recognised age‑verification methods – such as electronic ID checks or third‑party verification services – and demonstrate compliance to national digital‑service authorities under the new framework.