EU's Kids Act to Ban Social Media for Under-13s, Curb Chatbot Access

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Sep 16, 2026 · 9:45 AM UTC ·1 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 6 views

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#european union #technology #child safety #regulation #social media

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The European Union is set to introduce the Kids Act, which will ban social media access for children under 13 and restrict account creation for those under 15 without parental consent. The legislation mandates that tech companies implement robust age verification systems and safeguards to prevent addictive behaviors and harmful interactions. Non-compliance with these new regulations could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual revenue.

Key facts

▪Children under 13 are prohibited from using social media, gaming platforms, and AI chatbots without direct parental supervision.
▪Users aged 13 to 15 require parental consent to create accounts, which must include parental controls and time limits.
▪Tech companies must deploy official age verification apps and design safeguards to prevent unhealthy emotional attachments to AI companions.
▪Violations of the Kids Act may lead to financial penalties reaching 6% of the offending company's global annual revenue.

How this story was covered

3 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 17 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 1 centre.

Lean left · 1Centre · 1

▪ Age Limits for Social Media Outlined by European Union — NYT — Business
▪ The European Union wants to ban chatbots and online games for kids under 15, not just social media — TechSpot

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Original publisher	MacRumors
Canonical URL	https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/16/eu-kids-act-ban-social-media-under-13s/
Publication time	Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:45:51 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-09-16T09:48:41.457Z
Last seen	2026-09-16T09:48:41.457Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

EU's Kids Act to Ban Social Media for Under-13s, Curb Chatbot AccessWednesday September 16, 2026 2:45 am PDT by Tim HardwickThe EU will ban children under 15 from using social media platforms, some gaming platforms, and AI chatbots without parental supervision. The ban is set to be outlined in the Kids Act, which will be published on Thursday, reports Financial Times. "No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15," said the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in a speech on Wednesday. "Europe has the power to act.

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