The European Commission has adopted the Eu Kids Act to strengthen the safety of minors online. The proposal bans social platforms from access to under 13s and sets the minimum age to open an independent account at 15 years. Between 13 and 15 years, parental control will be required. The text also introduces the principle of reversal of the burden of proof: providers will have to prove that their services are age-appropriate and safe by default.
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The EU Kids Act proposes that minors can create independent accounts on social media only from the age of 15. Between 13 and 15 years, the proposal provides for parental control, through “mini accounts” that can be created by the parent and used by the minor via the parent’s account to access age-appropriate social media and video sharing platforms. These accounts should include guarantees such as limited social contacts and a maximum usage time of one hour per day.
Children between 3 and 13 years old will not be able to access social media but will be able to use video sharing services specifically designed for children through accounts managed by the parent. Platforms should provide a simple tool to limit the use of the adult’s device, when entrusted to the child, to such services and to limit exposure to a maximum of one hour per day.
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Reversal of the burden of proof
The principle of reversal of the burden of proof is also introduced: for very large online platforms, providers will have to prove that their services are “safe by design,” meaning safe from the design stage and appropriate for the users’ age.
The Eu Kids Act provides obligations for online services offering social media, video sharing, online video games, AI assistants, and chatbots to users under 18 years of age. Measures include the ban on addictive features and recommendation feeds based on profiling that can lead minors to harmful content, as well as the ban on infinite scrolling without break points, reward mechanisms, and push notifications during sleeping hours. Unsolicited contact from strangers is also prohibited.
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