The Commission Unveils EU Kids Act with Age Limit Unsettled
The European Commission is set to present the EU Kids Act on Thursday, its response to the pressure from member states and parents regarding social media’s impact on children. Ursula von der Leyen and Henna Virkkunen will introduce the proposal in Brussels, following her address to the European Parliament the previous day.
Key Points:
- The central theme of the Act is "safe by design," focusing on platform features that encourage excessive use, such as addictive design and constant user engagement.
- Two age thresholds are under discussion: 13, recommended by the Commission’s expert panel, and 15, supported by France.
- Spain had previously advocated for 16, while Belgium and Estonia opposed age-based restrictions, preferring platform regulation.
- The Commission’s proposed solution involves an age verification app using zero-knowledge proofs, but researchers successfully bypassed it.
- Member states like Norway, France, Spain, Austria, Denmark, and Slovenia are implementing their own age restrictions, with varying age limits. Australia is the only country with a national under-16 ban.
Four key questions will determine the impact of the EU’s proposal:
- Age threshold: The final age limit, if set.
- Regulatory approach: A straightforward ban or a risk-based design approach.
- Responsibility for age checking: Who will be tasked with verifying users’ ages.
- Implementation and enforcement: How the regulations will be put into practice and enforced across the EU.