BrusselsThe EU’s Kids Act would check every user’s age.
Critics warn the infrastructure could be used to surveil and split the digital public.
Australia’s under-16 social media ban, in force since December 2025, inspired similar demands across Europe.
The Commission frames the rules as child safety, with Ursula von der Leyen saying platforms must be safe by design.
The proposal still needs approval from the European Parliament and member states.
How each outlet framed it
- netzpolitik.org leans critical
- frames the EU Kids Act as infrastructure that could surveil and fragment the online public, modeled on Australia's under-16 ban
Sources: netzpolitik.org