It might seem utopian to ban children from using their phones, but Brussels has decided to turn discussions about the harms of social media into strict legal regulations. For a long time, it was believed that it was impossible to influence the algorithms of tech giants, but the European Commission has officially unveiled the ambitious EU Kids Act, a bill that radically changes the rules of the game for all of Europe.
Key Age Restrictions: What Will Be Allowed and What Will Be Banned
The new initiative introduces a clear three-tier system for minors’ access to digital platforms. The rules will be uniform across all EU countries with no local exceptions:
- Children under 13: A complete ban on creating independent social media accounts. Platforms will not be allowed to grant them access to registration.
- Teens aged 13 to 15: They will only be able to use social media through special “mini-accounts” created and supervised by parents or guardians. In this mode, there will be a screen time limit—a maximum of one hour per day—as well as strict restrictions on interactions.
- Teens aged 15 to 18: They will be able to create their own profiles, but the services themselves are required to enable enhanced security settings by default.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the main goal is not to completely isolate children from technology, but to hold platforms accountable for safety through the “safe by design” principle.
A Blow to Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence
The bill targets not only age restrictions but also the internal architecture of apps. Large platforms are required to remove mechanisms that foster addiction: infinite scrolling, various in-app rewards for engagement, and late-night notifications.
Special attention is given to conversational artificial intelligence and chatbots. According to the draft, such services on platforms for minors must be disabled by default. They are prohibited from being configured in a way that causes a child to develop emotional dependence or simulate friendly relationships.
In response to critics’ questions about how exactly age will be verified and whether teenagers will be able to circumvent the restrictions, the European Commission assured that technical developers will provide reliable tools. In particular, the use of anonymous age-verification apps that do not store users’ personal documents or biometric data is being discussed.
How This Applies to Slovakia
While Brussels is preparing a pan-European framework, Slovakia is continuing its own domestic efforts to protect young people online. Previously, the Slovak government approved its own bill proposing to set the age limit for registering on social media at 16.
Now that the European Commission has proposed a unified European approach with a 15-year-old age threshold for independent accounts, national lawmakers will have to align local regulations with EU legislation. Both European bodies and national regulators are authorized to monitor compliance with the new rules and impose fines of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover. The official details of the initiative are available on the European Commission’s website.
