The European Union will propose limiting access to social media for children under 15 years old, through an initiative called "Kids Act," which will be presented next Thursday. The bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, will require social media companies, online gaming services and artificial intelligence chatbots to adopt age verification mechanisms to prevent access by younger teenagers.
According to a public policy document seen by Bloomberg News, these companies will also need to implement safety features to minimize abuse and addictive behaviors. The document is still a preliminary version and may undergo changes before its official publication.
The proposal sets 15 years as the minimum age for autonomous access to these platforms, representing one of the EU's most ambitious measures to protect minors in the digital environment. The initiative occurs in a context of growing concern about the effects of social media and AI technologies on the mental health and safety of children and adolescents.
