# EU proposes total social media ban for under-13s with tiered access for teens

> The EU has proposed a total social media ban for children under 13 and limited, parent‑supervised mini accounts for teens aged 13‑15.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Technology · **Published:** 2026-09-17 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/technology/european-union-ka-naya-prastava-13-sala-se-kama-umra-ke-bachchon-ke-lie-social-media-bnda-13-15-ke-lie-simita-khate-33073 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** European Union, social media, child safety, digital law, age verification, teen accounts

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a proposal for a total ban on social media for children under 13 during her State of the Union address on Wednesday.

## Details of the EU Kids Act
The Commission will unveil the full EU Kids Act on Thursday, containing comprehensive provisions for children's online safety.

Under the new law, no child below the age of 13 will be allowed to create a personal account on any social media platform.

## Age‑Based Account Structure
Teenagers aged 13 to 15 will only be able to use mini accounts set up and supervised by parents or guardians.

These accounts will have a daily limit of one hour and restricted features.

## Safe Design Obligations and the Digital Fairness Act
All platforms must comply with safe design standards for users up to age 18.

The upcoming Digital Fairness Act, expected in autumn, will introduce stricter rules on addictive design elements.

## Existing Initiatives by Member States
Seventeen of the 27 member states are already drafting or negotiating legislation to protect minors online.

France's top court last month struck down a ban on social media for under‑15s, ruling it violated freedom of expression.

## Legal Experts' Views
Legal expert Arnav Joshi said a single EU‑wide rulebook would bring clarity and simplify compliance for companies.

He also warned that deep parental monitoring could chill children's use of services and raise privacy concerns.

Digital regulation specialist Joanna Conway said making age verification accurate without infringing privacy or harming user experience remains a major challenge.

## Age Verification Challenges
In Australia, children have widely circumvented the under‑16 ban, highlighting enforcement difficulties.

The EU launched an app earlier this year that lets members prove they are over 18 to access adult‑restricted sites, and it can be adapted for other age groups.

## Broader Technology Concerns and Upcoming Initiatives
Von der Leyen acknowledged that Europeans are worried by the dizzying speed of technology and its impact on livelihoods.

She stated that AI has not yet delivered value in the real economy such as factories, hospitals, and energy grids.

In November, initiatives will be announced across health, transport, agri‑food, advanced manufacturing, defence and space.

The Quality Jobs Act aims to ensure AI helps develop skills, improve job quality and give workers a fair chance.

The Commission will invite leading AI frontier labs to discuss how the EU can support industry efforts to stay at the frontier.

## What this means for you
The EU's new rules will directly affect social media platforms worldwide and millions of users.

- **For parents:** Children under 13 will no longer be able to create accounts on any social media service, giving guardians greater control over their children's online activity.
- **For teen users:** Adolescents aged 13‑15 will only access parent‑created mini accounts limited to one hour per day, automatically curbing screen time.
- **For platform operators:** All services must meet safe‑design standards for users up to age 18, with heavy fines for non‑compliance.
- **For Indian users:** Global platforms may roll out the same safety features in India, providing extra protection for local teens.
- **For regulatory clarity:** A single EU law replaces a patchwork of national rules, lowering compliance costs for companies.

## Why this happened
The EU acted in response to mounting evidence of social media's harmful effects on children.

- **Addiction and mental health:** Studies link excessive screen time to sleep loss, anxiety, self‑harm and even deaths, risks the Commission cited directly.
- **Pressure from national laws:** Seventeen of 27 member states are already drafting child‑online‑safety legislation, creating demand for a coordinated EU framework.
- **Guarding against court challenges:** After France's top court struck down an under‑15 ban, the Commission adopted a proportionate tiered approach to withstand judicial scrutiny.
- **Holding tech firms accountable:** Von der Leyen made clear that Europe will set its own rules, not Big Tech.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What age group does the EU propose a total social media ban for?
A total ban is proposed for children under 13.

### 2. What type of accounts will 13‑15 year olds receive?
They will get parent‑created mini accounts limited to one hour per day.

### 3. What safe‑design standards must platforms follow?
Platforms must comply with safe‑design obligations for users up to age 18.

### 4. How many member states are already working on child online safety laws?
Seventeen of the 27 member states are drafting or negotiating such legislation.

### 5. What age‑verification tool has the EU released?
An app that lets members prove they are over 18, adaptable for other age groups.

### 6. What did the Commission say about AI?
AI has not yet delivered value in the real economy, and new initiatives will be announced in November.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._