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The European Parliament is advancing new proposals aimed at strengthening protections for children on social media and online gaming platforms. Lawmakers are targeting not only platform design but also corporate accountability, including the potential for senior executives to face personal liability if their companies repeatedly breach the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Members of the Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) voted 32–5, with nine abstentions, to adopt a report urging the European Commission to enforce the DSA rigorously. The report warns that platforms found repeatedly violating child protection standards could face significant fines or even be prohibited from operating within the European Union.
Raising the Age Bar and Limiting Harmful Features
According to the proposals, children 13 and older may still use social media, video-sharing websites, and AI companions with parental supervision, but a digital minimum age of 16 should be set for these platforms unless parental consent is obtained. According to lawmakers, these actions are intended to protect children’s privacy and limit their exposure to harmful content.
The report also calls for restrictions on engagement mechanisms linked to excessive screen time, such as autoplay, infinite scrolling, disappearing stories, and algorithm-driven feeds. Such features, designed to maximize user activity, have been connected to negative mental health outcomes among young audiences.
Protecting Children from Gambling-Style Features and Exploitation
Lawmakers are urging bans on loot boxes and other gambling-style mechanics in games accessible to minors, citing the risk of encouraging risky spending and exploitative monetization. In addition, the report addresses the growing phenomenon of “kidfluencing,” where minors act as influencers or content creators for payment or platform rewards, raising concerns over data misuse, exploitation, and undue commercial pressure.
While retaining overall accountability for establishing intrinsically secure online spaces, platforms would also be urged to implement privacy-preserving age verification systems. In order to prevent manipulation through non-consensual content and to guarantee that chatbots and AI companions do not financially or emotionally exploit young users, the proposals also call for the enforcement of the EU AI Act.
Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose, who authored the report, stressed the importance of preventative measures. “We need a higher bar for access to social media and stronger safeguards for minors using online services,” she said. “My report calls for safety-by-design principles and a ban on the most harmful engagement mechanisms.”
The initiative responds to findings from a Eurobarometer survey showing that young Europeans increasingly rely on digital platforms for entertainment, information, and social interaction. Lawmakers are calling for EU-wide action to address platform design practices and content exposure, with a focus on corporate accountability, to make the internet a safer place for kids and teens.
Source: Yogonet
