EU KIDS Act Explained: Social Media Age Limit of 15 -

Quick answer: On 17 September 2026 the European Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act, which would bar under-13s from social media accounts, require parent-set-up “introductory” accounts for 13- and 14-year-olds, and let people aged 15 and over sign up on their own. It isn’t law yet. Parliament and the member states still have to agree, so nothing changes on your phone today.

The proposal is the EU’s answer to a wave of national moves, including Australia’s under-16 rules and the UK’s plan for its own ban. If you’re a parent in Germany, France, Ireland or anywhere else in the EU, this is the draft that could shape what your kids’ apps look like. If you’re an adult user, the design rules could change feeds for everyone on the affected apps.

This is a summary of the Commission’s proposal as reported by the EU and law-firm write-ups in mid-September 2026. Details may change during negotiations. More coverage is in our Social Media section.

What is the EU KIDS Act?

It’s a Commission proposal for a single set of child-safety rules for social media and video-sharing platforms, plus certain videogames and AI-enabled services. It was formally proposed on 17 September 2026 and sent to the European Parliament and the Council for examination, according to the Commission’s Better Internet for Kids page. Reports on 14 September, ahead of the formal release, said the plan would center on a minimum age of 15, as the Irish Times described it.

It would sit alongside the Digital Services Act (DSA), which already lets the Commission fine very large platforms. A law firm summary of the proposal says the maximum fine would be 6% of worldwide annual revenue.

What would the age tiers be?

Age	What the proposal allows
Under 13	No social media or video-sharing accounts. Access only to child-friendly services through parent-supervised accounts.
13 to 14	Parent-supervised “introductory” or “mini” accounts with limited features.
15 and over	Independent accounts on platforms that meet the safety rules.

Ireland’s government has argued for 16 as the limit, matching its digital age of consent, so the final number could shift during talks.

Which features would be restricted?

This is the part adults may notice too. Per the Davis Wright Tremaine summary, the proposal would ban the following for minors:

Infinite scrolling and autoplay.
Streak mechanics and other engagement rewards.
Push notifications designed to pull you back in, including at sleep time.
Recommendations based on profiling, which would be off by default.

Default settings would also turn off camera, microphone and location access, and strangers couldn’t contact a child without parental approval. The Commission’s page lists a screen-time cap of one hour a day for the 13-to-14 group.

Platforms that use AI companions would have to avoid designs “likely to simulate interpersonal relations that create emotional dependencies in children,” the law-firm summary says.

How would age checks work?

Self-declaring your age wouldn’t count. The summary says platforms would need EU-certified age verification at sign-up, based on the EU age verification blueprint and using methods that confirm an age threshold without revealing a birthdate or ID. Existing accounts could be checked with proxy data, such as account creation dates, if a platform can show high certainty.

The practical worry is privacy and accuracy. Age checks are only as good as the method, and the Australian experience shows how rough that can be (more below).

How does this compare with the UK and Australia?

The three approaches are close but not identical.

EU (proposal): tiered ages (13 and 15), design bans, not law yet.
UK: the government announced on 15 June 2026 that under-16s would be barred from platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, with WhatsApp and Signal excluded. Regulations are expected before Parliament by the end of 2026, with protections starting in spring 2027, per GOV.UK. In July, the government added that 16- and 17-year-olds would get an automatic midnight-to-6am curfew they can switch off, and infinite scroll off by default, according to ISPreview.
Australia: the under-16 ban began on 10 December 2025. A survey reported by Al Jazeera found 81% of teens still used age-restricted platforms three months later, down from 86%, and about half said their age was never checked. JURIST reports the government announced on 30 June 2026 that it would strengthen the law, including doubling fines.

For a how-to on locking down your child’s accounts right now, see our guide to parental controls on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Why is the EU doing this now?

Countries have been moving separately. Australia’s ban started in December 2025, and the UK announced its plan in June 2026. A single EU-wide law would stop 27 countries from setting 27 different age limits, which is hard for platforms to follow and confusing for families. The Commission’s pitch is a shared floor of rules, with the Digital Services Act and the AI Act used to enforce it.

The Irish Times also reported that ministers would discuss the plans under Ireland’s Council presidency, so expect national governments to push for changes, including a higher age.

What should you do now?

Do nothing drastic. The proposal needs approval, and then a transition period before platforms must comply. We haven’t seen a start date and won’t guess one.
If you have a child aged 13 to 14, expect parent-managed accounts to become the default idea. Check the supervision tools your family already uses.
If you’re an adult, expect more age-check prompts over time, whichever country you’re in.

Also, the changes in the US are coming through a different route, a legal settlement. We cover that in Meta’s teen settlement and what changes on Instagram.

Frequently asked questions

Is the EU social media ban for kids in force?

No. It’s a proposal made on 17 September 2026. The European Parliament and the Council must agree on a final text first.

What is the minimum age for social media in the EU under the proposal?

Independent accounts would start at 15. Ages 13 and 14 could have parent-supervised introductory accounts, and under-13s would be kept out of regular social media.

Will adults have to prove their age?

The proposal requires age verification at account creation for the age-limited tiers, and existing accounts could be checked using other data. How that would reach adult users isn’t fully clear yet.

Does this apply to the UK?

No. The UK is outside the EU and is writing its own rules, with a ban for under-16s expected in spring 2027.