Internet access only with a passport: the EU is preparing age verification for social media users
The European Commission has proposed introducing pan-European rules for verifying the age of social media users. The initiative is part of the EU KIDS Act draft, presented on September 17 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. According to the proposal, social networks and video platforms will be required to verify the age of users when creating new accounts. For this purpose, certified tools can be used, including an age verification application developed by the European Commission. [...]
Internet access only with a passport: the EU is preparing age verification for social media users
The European Commission has proposed introducing uniform rules across the EU for verifying the age of social media users. This initiative is included in the draft EU KIDS Act, which was presented on September 17 by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
According to the proposal, when creating new accounts, social networks and video platforms will have to verify the age of users. For this purpose, the use of certified tools will be permitted, including an age verification application developed by the European Commission. It allows users to confirm they meet the age threshold without sharing their ID, exact age, or other personal data with the platform.
The project envisages a phased restriction of children's access to social networks. Users under the age of 13 will not be able to use such platforms independently, while for children aged 13 to 15, it is proposed to use parentally controlled accounts with a limited set of features and a usage time of up to one hour per day. From the age of 15, teenagers will be able to open accounts independently.
For users under the age of 18, platforms will have to provide enhanced protection based on the "safety by default" principle. In particular, it is proposed to limit features that encourage excessive use of services, including infinite scroll and certain notifications, as well as to ban unsolicited contacts from unknown users.
The European Commission's proposal still has to be approved by the EU member states and the European Parliament, so its provisions may change before final legislation is adopted.