The European Commission’s proposed EU Kids Act could change childhood online: children under 15 may face restrictions on creating accounts on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and AI chatbots.
The proposal creates tiers: 15+ can create accounts; 13-14 need parental introductory accounts with contact and time limits; 3-12 accounts controlled entirely by parents and limited to child-suitable services; under 3, potential ban.
The scope goes beyond social media to AI companions, raising questions about design addiction and recommendation algorithms serving harmful content. Governments globally are grappling with this, from Australia to US.
The challenge is enforcement without overreach. Age verification, parental consent infrastructure, and defining “suitable” services will decide if this is protection or paternalism. But the philosophical shift is clear: internet is no longer presumed safe for children, platforms must prove it. If passed after negotiations with EU governments and Parliament, it will set a global template — childhood will have a login age.