EU Commission proposes KIDS Act to impose age‑based restrictions and safety‑by‑design for children online

What happened

On September 17, 2026 the European Commission published a proposal for a new EU KIDS Act that would ban users under 15 from creating accounts on certain social networking and video‑sharing services, with limited exceptions. The draft regulation requires third‑party EU age‑verification solutions and obliges covered providers to embed child‑safety measures and submit compliance plans, especially for VLOPs. A supervisory fee capped at 0.03% of worldwide annual net income would be levied on large platforms and certain AI providers.

Penalty

supervisory fee for in-scope VLOPs as well as certain providers of AI companions, general conversational chatbots, and video gaming platforms, capped at 0.03% of worldwide annual net income

Why it matters for trust and compliance

• Its status is proposed. It is not law yet. Track it, but do not treat it as an obligation.
• The KIDS Act aims to create EU‑wide, age‑based safeguards and design obligations to protect children’s privacy and safety online.
• Penalty: supervisory fee for in-scope VLOPs as well as certain providers of AI companions, general conversational chatbots, and video gaming platforms, capped at 0.03% of worldwide annual net income.
• It relates to DSA. The regulations library explains what that law requires.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Review consent, cookie and tracking practices against the requirement.
2. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.
3. Map the security requirements to existing controls and close gaps.
4. Inventory AI or automated decision systems in scope and their assessments.
5. Review age assurance and protections for minors' data.