European Union to unveil 'EU Kids Act' as global momentum grows for youth social media bans

The European Union will present a landmark legislative proposal aimed at curbing children's access to social media platforms, video-sharing services, and online gaming, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday.

According to Politico, the upcoming "EU Kids Act," to be formally presented Thursday by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, seeks to ban minors under 15 from opening independent accounts while prohibiting platforms from utilizing addictive features such as infinite scrolling, auto-play, and artificial notification loops.

Where are youth social media restrictions already active?

More than 20 countries worldwide have moved to restrict or outright block online social media access for minors, with several key jurisdictions having already implemented policies targeting under-15 or under-16 age brackets:

• Australia: In December 2025, Australia became the first nation to enforce a blanket under-16 ban across major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, although mid-2026 regulatory reviews noted widespread circumvention by teenagers.
• Latin America & Asia: Brazil instituted strict parental-account linkage and age verification mandates for under-16s in March 2026. Indonesia and Malaysia enacted under-16 restrictions in March and June 2026, respectively, while China expanded its existing gaming curfews to encompass streaming and social media services.
• United States & Middle East: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of youth digital safety laws on September 10, restricting platforms from deploying addictive algorithms to under-16s starting in early 2027. Meanwhile, Turkey passed under-15 restrictions set for late-2026 implementation, and the UAE announced similar bans targeting 2027.

Which nations are advancing upcoming legislation for minors?

European member states and global allies are rapidly pushing parallel national bills ahead of the EU-wide framework:

• European Union Member States: Greece, Austria, and Slovenia have drafted bans targeting under-14 or under-15 users set to take effect by 2027. Germany's expert advisory commission proposed tiered age-based restrictions supported by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, while Denmark and Sweden are targeting under-15 bans by 2028.
• United Kingdom, Canada & New Zealand: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has backed plans to enact under-16 platform bans alongside evening digital curfews by early 2027. Canada introduced its digital safety bill on June 11 targeting under-16 account creation, while New Zealand introduced matching legislation in August.
• Constitutional Challenges: In France, after parliament approved an under-15 social media ban, the Constitutional Council struck down the legislation on freedom-of-expression grounds. President Emmanuel Macron has since pledged to introduce a revised, legally robust framework by spring 2027.

Under the draft EU regulations reported by EU News, platforms failing to implement age verification or remove predatory engagement designs face administrative penalties under the Digital Services Act (DSA), including fines up to 6 percent of global annual turnover.