The European Union is preparing restrictions on access to AI chatbots and other social platforms for minors under the age of 15. These measures are part of a legislative act called the EU Kids Act and are outlined in a preliminary document from the European Commission.
The draft, obtained by Reuters, establishes various rules depending on age. For example, access will be completely blocked for children under three years old. This ban will gradually ease as they reach a level of 'full digital maturity.'
It is noteworthy that the age at which a teenager can independently manage a profile has been lowered compared to previous versions. Previously, full access was granted to users aged 18, but now it is possible starting from age 15. The proposal will be officially presented on Thursday (17/09) by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Head of the Digital Economy, Henna Virkkunen.
The document provides for a model of gradual access with different levels of control for children and adolescents. This plan will cover major services managed by large technology companies such as Alphabet, which owns YouTube; ByteDance, responsible for TikTok; and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. It will also affect AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI.
This initiative comes amid growing concern over the impact of digital services on children and adolescents. Governments around the world have been discussing their own policies on this issue for many years, including Europe and the UK, inspired by Australia's government campaign against large tech companies that began in 2024.
Nevertheless, even without direct legislation banning access for youth, some companies are already implementing control tools to avoid sanctions. For instance, Meta reached an agreement in the United States at the end of August to introduce restrictions such as daily usage time limits, notification controls, and new parental supervision systems.
To keep up, the company also published an open letter suggesting that TikTok adopt similar measures. The Chinese network is also facing lawsuits in Europe and the US due to the addictive design of its services.
Similar to what is stipulated in Brazil, the document requires platforms to add age verification tools during registration and before game downloads. It also mandates changes to platform operations, including the removal of potentially harmful or addictive mechanisms.
Another condition is the provision of simple channels for minors to report abuses and parental control tools. The document also provides for the introduction of a surveillance fee from large companies, the funds from which will be used to finance inspection operations and compliance.
The proposal may still undergo changes before the official presentation. After that, to become law and enter into force in the 27 countries of the European Union, the text must be discussed and agreed upon by the European Parliament and the governments of the member states.