Reuters reports Commission draft would bar under-15s from social media and AI chatbots
Published · Updated
What happened
Reuters reported from a European Commission document that a Commission plan due this week would prohibit under-15s from using social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games.
Why it matters
If the draft is tabled as reported, the Commission will open a near-term policy contest over how platforms verify age, whether the Digital Services Act is enough for child protection, and how far EU-level rules can go without creating legal and technical disputes over privacy, proportionality and enforcement.
Reuters reported on 2026-09-14, citing a European Commission document due to be tabled this week, that the Commission is preparing a plan to bar children under 15 from social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games. The reported draft would move child-safety policy from enforcement under existing digital rules toward a new legislative and technical fight over age verification, platform obligations and the scope of EU action. For the Commission leadership, the immediate issue is whether to push quickly and set the political frame or narrow the proposal to reduce legal and implementation friction.
Watch for
European Commission publication of the child-safety plan or communication in the Commission register by 2026-09-18 Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty statement specifying whether age verification or age assurance is required by 2026-09-18 European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee coordinators' agenda or hearing notice on child online protection by 2026-09-19 Meta, TikTok or Google public policy statements naming compliance concerns on under-15 access rules by 2026-09-19
Sources
- Reuters · reuters.com
- politico.eu
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