Kids and social media: what would change under new EU law

The EU laid out plans Thursday for strict age limits for children to access social media, games and AI assistants -- and on forcing companies to make platforms safe before minors use them.

The rules for platforms would include a ban on addictive features, so-called endless scrolling, and push notifications while children sleep, as the bloc steps up efforts to protect minors online.

The legal proposal comes a day after European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen announced the 27-country bloc's intention to ban children under 13 from social media, and permit only limited, supervised access until the age of 15.

Dubbed the "EU KIDS Act", Brussels is now "reversing the burden of proof", von der Leyen said. "Now they have to prove to us that they are safe."

The EU has been pushed to act after evidence has shown children's physical and mental wellbeing are damaged by social media, predators, scammers as well as bullies targeting minors, who have little protection from such risks.

So, what is in the draft law, and what does it mean for children and parents?

What is the EU proposing?

There are multiple strands of the proposal. The first is a tiered approach on minors accessing social media.

Children aged 15 and over will be able to set up social media accounts, while 13- and 14-year-olds can have "mini accounts" that they can access through a parent or guardian's account, according to the proposal.

This type of account would have strict safeguards, including screen time limited to one hour a day, so that parents can ensure the "safe" use of social media.

The EU stressed it wanted to put parents in the "driving seat", by, for example, allowing minors to use video-sharing apps through accounts managed by parents -- who could then limit access to other services and time spent online.

The second pillar is about ensuring social media, video sharing apps, online video games, AI companions and chatbots are safe before children use them.

This means banning profiling-based recommender feeds that lead to children seeing harmful content, as well as on reward-type mechanisms, and unsolicited contact from strangers.

The EU also said AI chatbots must not "simulate interpersonal relationships in ways that create emotional dependency", after a spate of suicides worldwide following children's interaction with such assistants.

Children's profiles must be private by default with their location, camera and microphone turned off, and it should be easy for minors to block or mute users.

The proposal will become law only after negotiations between the European Parliament and EU member states. This process can take months.

The European Commission, the EU's digital watchdog, called for its swift adoption "considering the clear demand for urgent and comprehensive action".

How will it work?

Platforms will have to submit a "compliance plan" to the commission and to an independent auditor that will assess any new service or feature, the EU said.

If the auditor is not happy with what a company proposes, the commission can ask for "corrective measures".

The EU can also launch investigations into platforms that must be concluded within 90 days, it added, with violations potentially leading to fines of up to 6% of annual turnover -- as is the case with the bloc's existing Digital Services Act on online content.

The EU has been simultaneously preparing to roll out an age-check app that would ensure children below the age thresholds cannot access social media.

Privacy defenders have raised concerns but Brussels insists the app would not share any data with digital platforms, and would only provide a "yes" or "no" answer in a cryptographic way without providing any personal data.

Platforms do not have to use the app but they must use an age assurance tool that checks how old new users are.