The EU Plans to Ban Social Media For Under-13s | WIREDSkip to main contentTHE WIRED APP IS HEREDOWNLOAD NOW »MenuWIREDSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuWIREDAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsWIRED StoreSearchSearchIsabella WardBusinessSep 16, 2026 6:19 AMThe EU Plans to Ban Social Media For Under-13sThe bloc wants to curb Big Tech’s grip on children with its new EU KIDS ACTS, but age checks, parental oversight, and privacy concerns could make its plan difficult to implement.Photo-Illustration: Jobanny Cabrera; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyThe European Union has announced plans to restrict children’s access to social media across member states in a bid to free them from what President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen described as the “capture [of] their attention, their focus, their minds” by the platforms.The proposal for a total ban on social media for children under 13 was announced in Wednesday’s State of the Union speech, where von der Leyen set out the Union’s priorities for the year ahead.It’s part of an EU Kids Act, which the Commission will unveil fully on Thursday. Children aged 13 to 15 will also not be allowed personal social media accounts but will be able to access social media through mini accounts set up and supervised by parents and guardians, with limited features, for one hour per day. Platforms will also have safe design obligations for users up to 18, with the Union planning to tackle addictive design further in the upcoming Digital Fairness Act in Autumn.“I am aware that many perceive the power of Big Tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament. “We do not have to accept addictive features, we do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content, we do not have to accept that girls have their photos used for-AI generated sexualised images,” she added. “Europe has the power to act; it is us who decide the rules, not Big Tech.”The EU was largely expected to follow other countries in restricting children’s access to social media, which von der Leyen said has been responsible for sleep loss, anxiety, self harm, and even the deaths of European children. Seventeen of the bloc’s 27 member states are already negotiating or preparing draft legislation to protect minors online, including by setting out a minimum age to access certain services. Among those is France, whose top court last month struck down a ban on social media for under-15s because it infringed upon freedom of expression.“Cleaning up that mess, getting everyone on the same page, then running through the EU legislative process,” will probably take until 2029, expects Ashurst Perkins Coie technology lawyer Arnav Joshi. Still, he believes companies will welcome the clarity and simplicity provided by a single set of EU-wide rules. The tiered approach is designed to placate any judicial challenges by being proportionate—a rare example of where “the EU law, by not introducing a blanket ban, is perhaps even a little bit more permissive than others,” he told WIRED, referencing the sweeping social media bans in the UK and Australia.But the measures still force oversight on both guardians and the social media platforms themselves, which could risk privacy infringements. Parental monitoring could be “problematic” says Joshi, who advises global technology companies on children’s online safety, warning: “anything that has deep dive, God-mode style parental access can have a bit of a chilling effect on how children actually use that service and could have issues in terms of their own right to privacy.”The European bloc will also face similar challenges to other countries in effectively enforcing the age limits. Children in Australia have widely been able to circumvent the country’s under-16s ban on social media access. "A key issue is how to carry out the age checks and it’s not straightforward,” Joanna Conway, digital regulation partner at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, told WIRED. Making age checks accurate, without infringing on privacy rights or harming user experience, is a challenge, she added. The EU introduced an app earlier in the year so members can prove they are over 18 and access adult-restricted sites, which it says can be applied to other age groups.Von der Leyen also acknowledged that Europeans are more widely worried by the “dizzying” speed of technology and its impact on their livelihoods and society. Artificial intelligence “has not yet delivered” value in the real economy—like factories, hospitals, and energy grids—she added, teasing initiatives that will be announced in November to address these concerns across health, transport, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, and defence and space. She also referenced the upcoming Quality Jobs Act, designed to ensure AI helps develop skills, improve the quality of jobs, and “give workers a fair chance,” and said she would invite the main artificial intelligence frontier labs for a discussion on how the EU can support industry efforts to pace the frontier.CommentsBack to topJoin the discussionCommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: WIRED's most ambitious, future-defining storiesAI slop backlash is actually having an impactBig Story: The cop who took on FlockThe rise of the 1am job interviewWatch: I stole a car by hacking this hidden deviceTopicsSocial MediaMetaTikTokSnapchattech policyRead MoreApple and Google Miss Deadline to Block Child Nudity on Their Phones in the UKNow the UK government plans to introduce new legislation that would see companies face fines and potential criminal liability, and signaled similar plans could extend to Snapchat and Instagram.Isabella WardCandidates Are Signing a Pact Promising Action on Data Centers and AI SafetyMore than 15 politicians from across the country have signed on to the AI Pact, vowing to regulate data centers and AI. “We’ve got to get this right,” says Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska.Molly TaftLawmakers Want States to Crack Down on Flock Cameras—or Pay the PriceA new bipartisan effort in Congress to rein in automated license plate readers takes a page from the national drinking age: Comply, or risk losing federal highway funding.Paresh DaveSexually Explicit Deepfake Sites Target 100-Plus Politicians in EuropeAn analysis of 160 deepfake websites reveals politicians in 22 countries appear on them. Nearly all of them are women.Matt BurgessUK Lawmakers Are Freaking Out Over AI’s Summer of ChaosAs AI agents go rogue and fears of superintelligence grow, politicians are raising the alarm over its potential harm to human existence.Isabella WardFace Recognition Is Becoming the Norm for Dating AppsTo keep scammers at bay, dating apps are embracing biometric scanning tools and “verified human” badges. These moves are sparking concerns about surveillance and privacy.Jason ParhamWikipedia Workers Unionize for the First TimeMore than 200 people in roles such as engineering, finance, and communications will now be represented by the Communications Workers of America.Paresh DaveChina Isn’t Buying Silicon Valley’s Call for an AI SlowdownThe US and China agree that advanced AI poses serious risks. But Beijing is deeply skeptical of a deal that prioritizes keeping US companies ahead.Louise MatsakisOpenAI Wants to Know if an AI Industry Slowdown Would Even Be LegalAI leaders worry antitrust law could stand in the way of what they view as an increasingly urgent push to coordinate a slowdown in AI development.Maxwell ZeffThe Single English County Saying No to PalantirThe UK government is facing calls to cancel a sprawling health care contract with Palantir. The region of Greater Manchester insists it can do a better job itself.Joel Khalili‘I Felt Super Violated’: Men Wearing Meta Glasses on Dates Is an Instant Red FlagAs anxieties over surveillance tech grow, unsuspecting singles are sharing stories of being covertly filmed on dates by Meta smart glasses.Jason ParhamMeta Will Pay Up to $16.7 Billion to Settle Its Social Media Harms Case—and That’s Not AllIn addition to sending billions of dollars to states, Meta will make substantive changes to its platforms as part of a landmark settlement.Paresh DaveWIRED is obsessed with what comes next. Through rigorous investigations and game-changing reporting, we tell stories that don’t just reflect the moment—they help create it. When you look back in 10, 20, even 50 years, WIRED will be the publication that led the story of the present, mapped the people, products, and ideas defining it, and explained how those forces forged the future. WIRED: For Future Reference.More From WIREDSubscribeNewslettersLivestreamsTravelFAQContact UsWIRED StaffWIRED EducationEditorial StandardsArchiveRSSSite MapAccessibility HelpReviews and GuidesReviewsBuying GuidesStreaming GuidesCouponsAdvertiseManage AccountJobsPress CenterCondé Nast StoreUser AgreementPrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy Rights© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad ChoicesSelect international siteUnited StatesLargeChevronItaliaJapónCzech Republic & SlovakiaFacebookXPinterestYouTubeInstagramTiktok

The European Union has proposed sweeping measures under the EU Kids Act to restrict children's access to social media across member states, aiming to mitigate the influence of these platforms over minors. This initiative stems from concerns articulated by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the platforms' ability to capture children's attention and focus. The proposal involves a total ban on social media for those under thirteen. Furthermore, children aged thirteen to fifteen will not be permitted personal social media accounts but will be allowed to access platforms through supervised mini accounts established by parents or guardians, which will feature limited functionalities for one hour per day. The Union also intends to impose safe design obligations on users up to eighteen and plans to address addictive design features further through the upcoming Digital Fairness Act.

The rationale behind these restrictions is rooted in concerns over the impact of social media on children's well-being, including issues related to sleep loss, anxiety, self-harm, and exposure to extreme content, as noted by von der Leyen. The EU acknowledged that other member states are also engaging in similar legislation, though the process of achieving unified standards is anticipated to be lengthy, potentially extending until 2029, according to technology lawyer Arnav Joshi. The EU's approach seeks to be proportionate, utilizing a tiered structure to potentially navigate judicial challenges, as suggested by Joshi, who noted that the absence of a blanket ban might offer more flexibility than some other jurisdictions.

However, the implementation of these rules faces significant challenges, particularly concerning privacy and enforcement. The measures necessitate oversight of both guardians and the social media platforms, raising concerns about potential privacy infringements. Parental monitoring, if implemented with deep access, could create a chilling effect on how children engage with services and raise questions about privacy rights. Moreover, effectively enforcing age limits presents practical difficulties, as evidenced by scenarios where children in other jurisdictions, such as Australia, have managed to circumvent age restrictions. Experts highlight that accurately verifying age while safeguarding privacy and maintaining a positive user experience remains a complex challenge for regulators.

Beyond social media regulation, the EU is addressing broader technological and economic concerns. The leadership acknowledged widespread worries regarding the rapid advancement of technology and its societal consequences. The EU is also pursuing initiatives to address the perceived lack of real-economy value delivered by artificial intelligence, focusing on sectors like health, transport, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, and defense. Developments in this area include the Quality Jobs Act, designed to ensure that artificial intelligence contributes to skill development and job quality by providing fair opportunities for workers. This reflects a broader effort by the EU to manage the technological frontier responsibly, balancing innovation with societal protection and legal clarity.