European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveils the EU Kids Act during her SOTU address, proposing banning social media for under-13s across the EU

A proposed law would bar children under 13 from using social media across the 27-nation bloc. — The European Union outlined plans …

New York Times 2026-09-16

Context & Ripple Effects

Von der Leyen had signaled a graduated social-media access model for minors in July, and Commission documents published ahead of the address described a broader Kids Act covering social media, video platforms, games and AI chatbots. The SOTU announcement turns that direction into a formal EU-level proposal centered on an under-13 threshold.

The proposal arrives after France adopted an under-15 social-media restriction, giving the Commission a route to frame child access as a bloc-wide platform-governance issue rather than solely a national policy choice.

First-order effects

The European Commission has put an EU-wide under-13 social-media prohibition on the legislative agenda, placing social platforms at the center of the proposed access rule.
Under the proposal, children under 13 would lose permitted access to social media across the EU’s 27 member states if the measure is enacted.

Second-order effects

A bloc-level rule would push social platforms to align age-access policies across member states instead of responding only to national measures such as France’s under-15 law.
The wider scope outlined in the Commission’s pre-announcement documents puts video platforms, games and AI-chatbot providers on notice that age-based access requirements may extend beyond social media.

Third-order effects

The proposal advances access-control regulation as a core European approach to child online safety, shifting attention from individual harmful features toward eligibility rules for entire services.
If the Kids Act preserves its broader platform scope through legislation, age assurance and graduated access may become a common compliance layer across consumer internet products serving minors.

The trend: European child-safety policy is moving toward age-gated access rules that apply across major online service categories rather than relying only on platform-by-platform safeguards.

Discussion

MLex MLex on x
Social media to face EU curbs on under-15 accounts, Von der Leyen confirms | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation
@digitaleu @digitaleu on x
“It is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors.” Below President @vonderleyen at #SOTEU ↓
@eu_commission @eu_commission on x
We do not have to accept big tech's harmful features for our children. Tomorrow, we are proposing the KIDS ACT. For each age, a tailored protection level on online platforms. And we will present a Digital Fairness Act - addressing online harms for all, not only minors. #SOTEU
Jörg M. Fegert Jörg M. Fegert on linkedin
Ursula von der Leyen just gave her 2026 State of the Union Address where she announced that tomorrow, the Commission will be proposing the EU KIDS ACT …
Sune Hein Lundbek Sune Hein Lundbek on linkedin
“If we are serious about simplification, we also need a pact against gold-plating.” — That was an important message …
@jacobreynolds Jacob Reynolds on x
The most important part of any EU announcement is more plans to crack down on online speech
@clashreport @clashreport on x
EU's von der Leyen: Tomorrow, the Commission is proposing the Kids Act. We will take a gradual and differentiated approach. No social media under the age of 13, no personal account under the age of 15. From 13 to under 15, only accounts set up and supervised by parents or guardia…
@amnestytech @amnestytech on x
The @EU_Commission has proposed in #SOTEU a social media ban for children under 13, “mini accounts
@amnestytech @amnestytech on x
We, however, recommend an alternative to the proposal to give parental control over accounts of 13 to 14-year-olds. While important, it overlooks the reality that parental control, especially where it includes content supervision, may not always be in children's best interests.
@amnestytech @amnestytech on x
.@amnesty welcomes the focus on safety-by-design. The approach recognizes that addictive & harmful product design must be strictly regulated, with bans on infinite scrolling & autoplay & strict limitations on how algorithmic feeds are shaped.
@sebastian_paul Sebastian on x
This is your periodic reminder that to ban minors from Internet, you need to ID everyone on the Internet.
@iamrichmoore Rich on x
@FT Similar bans achieved very little in Australia. In fact, they've just made everyday usage go underground. Educating kids and parents on how to use social media beats bans. But I suspect this is more about politics and economics vs safeguarding.
@nottsen Nicolaj Ottsen on x
Every parent has the power to control access to SoMe for their children. STOP LYING TO PEOPLE. This is about you wanting control. About you taking us from a free society with negative freedom, to a velvet totalitarian Nanny state with positive “freedom
@pietercleppe Pieter Cleppe on x
No business for the EU to deal with
@ft @ft on x
The EU is set to ban the use of social media, certain gaming platforms and AI chatbots by children under 15 without parental supervision, as part of a wider push to protect them online. Read the full story here: https://www.ft.com/...
Alexandra Jour-Schroeder Alexandra Jour-Schroeder on linkedin
In her State of the Union address, President von der Leyen stressed the exceptional geopolitical challenges and incredible speed of change that Europe is facing. …
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
This would be terrible for the next generation of humanity. The apps and games of today are the paintbrushes and tree forts of yesterday. Fortnite has Creative Mode, Roblox has Roblox studio, and being a digital creator is in everyone's reach, till politicians take it away.
@davquinn David Quinn on x
This sort of social media regulation by Brussels is a classic example of something that should be left up to individual member-states and not the EU. The mission-creep is non-stop. https://www.rte.ie/...
@ciaranmullooly @ciaranmullooly on x
It's taken an awful long time for the @EU_Commission to make up it's mind but I welcome the plans set out by @vonderleyen to introduce a ban on all under 13s on social media - the policing of the measure must be the next focus #SOTU

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