In a newly unveiled piece of legislation, featuring mini accounts and full on account bans, the European Commision introduces the EU Kids Act, a set of restrictions for children in the world of social media.

Speaking on the dangers of social media for children during the press conference on September 17, European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Technology was never created with their well-being in mind.” 

To minimise the impact on children, the European Commission is placing obligations, such as age verification and algorithmic restrictions, on social media, gaming platforms, AI chatbots, and other technology used by under 18’s. 

The EU Kids Act puts further pressure on the removal of addictive and infinite scroll and AI-powered features.

Children under 13 will lose access to popular online platforms and instead have access to alternative online spaces. Meanwhile, teens aged 13 to 15 years-old will be allowed mini accounts with parental controls and strict restrictions.

Those aged between 15 and 18 years old get access to their own accounts, with fewer restrictions.

In Ireland, according to CyberSafeKids’ annual 2025 report, 71% of children aged 8 to 12 years-old spend time on social media, especially apps aged 13+ like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others. 

Meanwhile, 99% of those aged 12 to 15 actively use social media.

The decision for an all-European piece of legislation comes after Australia’s blanket ban for under 15’s, which sparked online controversy.

Rani Sheilagh, an Irish cyberpsychologist, told TheCity: “The way the algorithm works, they are being fed dangerous information, situations and things that impact them developmentally, with body image, especially in the teenage time when developing identity.”

Sheilaigh said that technology will not go away, and restrictions can only go so far. “It’s about becoming conscious users and holding the companies that are building these environments accountable to protect developing minds,” she added.

Alex Cooney, CEO of CyberSafeKids, has welcomed this new piece of legislation, and said that: “They have been explicit about what is and isn’t allowed, and for some of these addictive features, the expectation is that they are off by default, which is great.”  

“I really like this idea of it being safe by design up to 18,” Cooney said, highlighting the need for further protection across the population, especially children. 

“The act is rooted in tech responsibility, meaning that very large online platforms will have to provide specific reports, so the commission can decide whether new features are safe by design. 

“We should be treating them like products which are expected to meet a certain standard of compliance before ever hitting the market,” Cooney added. “That is not there. It doesn’t seem to stop them from getting access to the market at any stage.” 

Cooney said it relies much more on fines and investigations, much like the Digital Services Act, which creates a drawn-out process between authorities and tech companies. “We wanted to see the potential for geoblocks, like suspension of services,” she added.

On enforcement in Ireland, Cooney noted a notorious slowdown in the realm of children’s safety online. 

“Ireland has really struggled to keep up with restrictions on technology, because big tech are a massive factor in the economy, they don’t want them taking their business elsewhere,” she said, adding that she has had conversations with the Irish authorities, and that they are committed to online safety in Ireland.

“Age verification, which will determine who can access platforms, will be left up to trusted European verifications which should not retain data.

“I do not want tech companies to be using their own solutions. I think they have enough of our data,” Cooney said, deeming the Commission’s decision acceptable.

“It is really about creating a more digitally literate society around social media use,” Sheilagh said. “Parents teach their kids how to cross the street safely, and what is and is not safe out in the real world, and now there is this other world we are just learning about.”

The EU Kids Act is now under evaluation at the European Parliament and European Council level, as the Commission calls for “swift adoption”.