EU UNVEILS KIDS ACT TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UNDER-13S

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the EU Kids Act in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament, restricting children's use of social media. Children under 13 would be banned from social media entirely, while 13 to 15-year-olds would be limited to parent-controlled accounts. Platforms would have to make accounts "safe by design" for those aged 15 to 18. Von der Leyen said the legislation would "reverse the burden of proof", so that "platforms will have to prove to us that they are safe".

The draft regulation extends beyond social media to cover video-sharing services, online games, chatbots and app stores, requiring age verification. Under-15 accounts would reportedly be restricted to one hour of access a day. Critics have warned the rules could lead to widespread "identity checkpoints" across internet services, changing their open nature. Von der Leyen said children were spending four to six hours a day on screens, drawn in by algorithms designed to keep them scrolling, contributing to loss of sleep, anxiety and self-harm. "What we are witnessing is a great capture of our children," she said.

The EU Kids Act is due to be published the following day, as part of wider efforts to standardise online safety rules bloc-wide. Australia banned social media for under-16s in December; a study found eight in ten Australian teenagers and pre-teens continued to use the platforms regardless. Brazil has introduced a law requiring parentally controlled accounts for under-16s, while Greece, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia and Canada are considering similar restrictions. France's top court blocked a proposed law last month banning social media for under-15s, ruling it too broad and a risk to freedom of expression.