In his State of the Union speech in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen announced the official presentation of theEU Kids Acta severe regulatory package that aims to revolutionize the relationship between young people and the web. The measure provides for absolute ban on access to social media, online video games and chatbots for all children under 13reversing the burden of proof and placing the responsibility of demonstrating the safety of their services on the platforms.
For the age group included between 13 and 15 years old access will be permitted exclusively via mini-accounts created and supervised by parentswith a maximum usage limit of an hour a day and severely limited functionality.
The initiative aims to counteract the so-called capture of children’s attention and concentration, citing the tragic case of the fourteen-year-old Belgian Olea, victim of cyberbullying. The proposal also introduces the obligation of a safe design for teenagers between 15 and 18 years oldalso addressing the delicate sector of chatbots and generative artificial intelligences designed to simulate friendly relationships and create psychological dependence.
The European Union will ban social media for children under 13 and allow only limited, supervised access until the age of 15 under plans unveiled Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
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International reactions, the issue of controls and regulatory precedents in Europe
The regulatory text it will now have to pass the vote of the 27 member states of the Uniona passage that risks reignite diplomatic frictions with the administration led by Donald Trumpwhich has always been critical of European regulation of the technology sector.
The European Commission has taken into account the recent missteps recorded in other countriessuch as the rejection by the French Constitutional Court of the law that prohibited social media for those under 15 because it was considered harmful to fundamental freedoms.
To avoid similar legal disputes, the control architecture of the EU Kids Act will rely on a centralized supervisory structure modeled on Digital Services Act and on theArtificial Intelligence Act. Non-compliant companies risk very severe sanctions, including financial charges that reach up to 6% of the annual global turnover and the restriction of access to the European market for tech giants found responsible for harming minors.
