Brussels/Strasbourg/Madrid — President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented the main points of a law to protect minors online in her State of the Union address on 16 September 2026. The proposal, known by the working title EU Kids Act would prohibit children under 13 from accessing mainstream social networks. For 13- to 15-year-olds, only accounts opened and supervised by parents, with restricted functions, would be permitted. For those aged 15 to 18, platforms would have to be designed so as not to encourage addictive patterns of use. The Commission initially gave no details of specific legislation or a timetable.
Von der Leyen justified the initiative on the grounds of protecting mental health, tackling harassment and curbing manipulative recommendation mechanisms. “Europe sets its own rules, not the big tech companies,” she said in the European Parliament’s chamber in Strasbourg. The Commission is examining mandatory age verification, rules against designs that promote addictive use, and penalties for breaches. Details of technical implementation and data protection are to be specified in a formal draft.
The announcement comes amid Spain an ongoing debate. The head of government Pedro Sánchez had indicated in February 2026 that stricter national measures were in prospect, including restrictions on minors’ access to social networks. Madrid welcomes EU-wide harmonisation to make it harder to circumvent the rules across national borders. Spanish paediatricians and child-protection organisations are also calling for greater protection, but want evidence of effectiveness and exemptions for educational services.
Legal experts and data protection authorities in several member states point to unresolved questions around age checks: these must be proportionate, technology-neutral and data-minimising so as not to infringe fundamental rights, particularly the protection of personal data. In the forthcoming discussions between European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, the focus is likely to be on feasibility, enforceability and how the proposal relates to existing rules such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the Digital Services Act.
For Spain, the direction of EU policy has direct consequences: a uniform EU-wide rule could replace or supplement national initiatives and harmonise the legal position for platform operators. Until the draft law is presented and subsequent negotiations take place, it remains unclear whether age limits, supervisory obligations and design requirements will be adopted in the form now outlined or changed during the legislative process.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).