The EU wants children to weigh in on its proposed social media age rules

The European Commission opened public feedback on its proposed EU KIDS Act on October 2, 2026, asking children, parents, educators and online platforms to comment before November 26. The consultation is significant because the proposal would change both the age at which young people can hold social media accounts and the way digital services are designed for them. It is a proposal, not a rule already in force.

The Commission adopted the legislative proposal in September. Its new feedback call will gather responses for a summary to the European Parliament and Council, which still have to consider the legislation. The Commission's announcement gives a deadline of midnight Brussels time on November 26.

The age rule has three steps

Under the proposal, children younger than 13 could not hold social media accounts. Those aged 13 or 14 could use limited accounts set up and supervised by a guardian, with parental controls, approved contacts and a daily time cap. Independent accounts would begin at 15. The Commission says these age rules target social networking and video-sharing services with risky features, rather than every corner of the internet.

The Commission also proposes replacing a simple self-declared birthday with certified age verification. Its explainer says the verification provider, rather than the platform, would check age and return only whether a user meets the required threshold. That is a design claim in the proposal; how the system performs in practice would depend on implementation and oversight.

The bigger change is in service design

Age gates are only one part of the plan. The proposal also addresses interfaces that keep minors online for longer, including endless autoplay, infinite scrolling without breaks and streaks that punish a missed day. The Commission says services should provide effective usage breaks and change recommendation systems so child safety takes priority over engagement.

Other provisions reach beyond social feeds. The Commission's explainer describes protections against unwanted contact from strangers and rules for AI companions accessible to minors. It also discusses age ratings for apps and restrictions on access to age-inappropriate games. Those details show why feedback from families, teachers and companies could affect more than a single sign-up screen.

A consultation before a law

The feedback request does not enact the age limits or force platforms to change today. Responses will inform the continuing legislative debate, and the final text could differ from the Commission's version. The consultation's own publication page gives October 2 as its date but does not state an exact release time.

The next concrete marker is the November 26 deadline. Until Parliament and Council settle the proposal, its promised privacy safeguards and practical age checks remain plans to test and scrutinize, not established results.