26-09-202672
As children are beginning to use the internet and social networks at increasingly younger ages, ensuring their safety in the digital environment is becoming an increasingly important issue. The unlimited flow of information, features designed to keep users’ attention for as long as possible, harmful content, and the possibility of communicating with strangers require new mechanisms to protect children from online threats.
From this perspective, the European Union is pursuing a new approach to regulating children’s use of social networks based on their age. On 17 September 2026, the European Commission adopted the EU KIDS Act legislative proposal, aimed at strengthening the safety of children in the online environment.
According to the proposal, children under the age of 13 would not be allowed to use social networks, while for those aged 13–15, it is proposed to introduce “mini-accounts” with limited functionality and under parental or guardian supervision. From the age of 15, children would be allowed to create an account independently.
A notable aspect of the new approach is the idea of placing responsibility for children’s digital safety not only on parents and users themselves, but also on online platforms through specific obligations. Under this approach, digital services are expected to operate according to the principle of providing children with a safe and age-appropriate environment.
In particular, the proposal envisages restricting features in children’s accounts such as endless scrolling feeds, excessive notifications, and certain functions that encourage users to spend extended periods of time on a platform. The central issue here is that the digital environment should correspond to the child’s age and interests.
Particular attention is also being paid to the protection of personal data in relation to age verification. The European Union is considering the use of specific digital solutions that would enable users to demonstrate that they meet the established age requirement. At the same time, avoiding the excessive storage of identity documents or biometric data is regarded as an important principle.
This approach means that protecting children should not be achieved at the expense of restricting their right to privacy.
Another important aspect is that the issue of child safety is not limited to social networks alone. It is also being considered that video platforms, online games, artificial intelligence-based chatbots, and virtual companions should meet the requirements for a safe digital environment for children.
The approach to services based on artificial intelligence is particularly noteworthy. Within the framework of the new regulatory approach, the issue of preventing AI chatbots and virtual companions from operating in ways that may increase emotional dependence among children is also being raised.
It would be incorrect to interpret this initiative of the European Union solely as a restriction on children’s use of social networks. Its essence lies not so much in banning digital technologies as in adapting the environment in which they are used to the age, rights, and interests of the child.
Children have the right to access information, receive education, communicate, and benefit from the opportunities provided by digital technologies. At the same time, their safety, the protection of their personal data, and their right to grow up in a healthy digital environment must also be ensured. These two issues should not be treated as opposing one another.
In this sense, an important conclusion arising from the European Union’s new approach is that children should not be forced to adapt to the digital environment; rather, the digital environment should be adapted to children’s age and interests.
This approach is also substantively consistent with the objectives set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to ensuring children’s well-being, quality education, equal opportunities, and a safe society.
In today’s rapidly developing digital environment, protecting children online is no longer an issue that can be addressed solely through parental supervision. It is a complex socio-legal task that requires shared responsibility among families, educational institutions, governments, civil society, and digital platforms.
Madinabonu Sharifova,
Chief Specialist, “Center for Sustainable Development” NGO