EU to propose curbing social media, online games for under 15s

The European Union is set to propose curbing access to social media, video-sharing platforms, chatbots and online games to children under the age of 15, according to a draft legal document seen by AFP.

A proposed new law – to be formally presented on Thursday – would mean banning minors under 15 from opening their own accounts, with a tiered system of access under parental supervision for younger children.

As well as age limits, the new “EU KIDS Act” would force digital giants to make their platforms “safe by design” for children, meaning certain “addictive” features such as so-called infinite scrolling would have to be removed, the draft showed.

The European Commission has come under pressure from several EU member states including France and Greece to take bloc-wide measures to protect children from social media harms, a push that intensified after Australia banned under 16s from such platforms.