EU Moves to Restrict Under-15s’ Access to Social Media and Chatbots

The European Union is preparing to restrict access to social media, certain gaming platforms, and AI chatbots for children under 15 unless parental supervision or controls are in place, a regulatory intervention that would shift the burden of proving safety from regulators to the platforms themselves. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the policy direction on Wednesday, framing it as part of a broader effort to protect minors from extreme content and AI-generated abuse, and said the detailed measures would be set out in a so-called Kids Act on Thursday.

The proposal establishes two tiers of protection. Children under 13 would only be permitted access to social media and related services under direct parental supervision. Those aged between 13 and 15 could create accounts only with parental control enabled and subject to restrictions such as time limits. Von der Leyen was explicit about the intended scope: “No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15.”

The move follows sustained pressure from EU member states, notably France and Greece, which have long urged Brussels to impose binding limits on children’s engagement with digital platforms. The Commission’s response, however, goes beyond age verification requirements. Von der Leyen described the initiative as a reversal of the burden of proof, arguing that platforms, not parents or regulators, should be required to demonstrate that their services are safe for minors. “Platforms will have to prove to us that they are safe,” she said.

The announcement was embedded in a wider speech on the threats facing the EU, in which von der Leyen described artificial intelligence as “the second tipping point of our times,” alongside climate change. She warned that AI models under development would enable hacking “on a level we never thought possible” and that such capabilities would soon be in the hands of adversaries with different worldviews. To address this, she proposed that Brussels cooperate with Canada and the United Kingdom on model evaluation, verification, early warning systems, and AI security.

The dual focus of the initiative, child protection and AI risk management, reflects a broader European approach to technology regulation that has increasingly emphasized preemptive rules over reactive enforcement. The Kids Act is expected to apply not only to social media platforms but also to gaming services and AI chatbots, bringing a wider range of interactive digital products under the new framework.

The implications for technology companies are significant. Platforms operating in the EU will need to develop and deploy age assurance mechanisms, parental control tools, and usage restrictions that meet the Commission’s standards, or face the burden of proving their services are safe for under-15s. The requirement to demonstrate safety proactively marks a departure from the conventional regulatory model, in which authorities act after harm has occurred.

The proposal also raises questions about enforcement and verification. Age assurance technologies remain imperfect, and the practical implementation of parental supervision requirements across diverse platforms and jurisdictions will be challenging. The Commission’s willingness to collaborate with non-EU partners on AI security suggests an awareness that these issues cannot be addressed within a single regulatory perimeter.

Von der Leyen’s framing, that Europe rather than big tech should decide the rules, captures the political intent behind the initiative. Whether the Kids Act delivers on that ambition will depend on the details unveiled on Thursday and on the Commission’s ability to enforce a regulatory framework that places the burden of proof squarely on platforms.