EU Proposes Sweeping 'Kids Act' to Regulate Online Safety
The proposed regulation would harmonize rules for protecting minors online, introducing strict age verification, account bans for users under 13, and 'safety by design' mandates.
The European Commission has proposed a new regulation, the 'EU Kids Act,' to create a unified framework for protecting minors online, superseding fragmented national laws. The draft regulation would apply broadly to social networks, video-sharing platforms, app stores, online games, and AI chatbots serving EU users, regardless of where the providers are established. Key provisions include mandatory age verification through certified solutions, a general prohibition on accounts for children under 13, and parent-controlled, feature-limited accounts for those aged 13-15. Sophisticated clients care because the act imposes 'safety by design' obligations for all users under 18, expressly prohibiting features deemed addictive, such as infinite scroll and autoplay. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. The proposal now enters the EU legislative process for negotiation between the Parliament and Council. While adoption is not expected before 2028, affected companies must now track the bill's progress and prepare for a potentially stringent new compliance regime.