EU Proposes 'EU Kids Act' to Ban Social Media for Children Under 13

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for the 'EU Kids Act,' which proposes banning children under 13 from social media and restricting independent account creation for teens under 15. The draft legislation enforces age verification across social platforms, video-sharing services, app stores, online games, and AI chatbots. This proposal reflects a growing international trend toward strict digital safety laws to protect minors online, following similar enforcement efforts in Australia. If passed, major tech platforms and AI developers will face regulatory pressure to overhaul their age verification systems and platform features across Europe. Under the proposed framework, teenagers aged 13 and 14 can only register social media accounts with parental supervision and restricted functionality. Non-compliant technology companies could face heavy financial penalties of up to 6% of their global annual revenue, though finalizing the legislation may take several years.