MediumV Technology Geopolitics & AI17 September 2026, Thursday
EU Commission proposes a social media ban for under-13s and guardian-supervised accounts for 13- to 14-year-olds
The draft presented by von der Leyen and Virkkunen in Strasbourg on 17 September closes off independent accounts below the age of 15 and introduces an annual supervisory fee for platforms.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen presented the draft law on the online protection of children to the European Parliament's Strasbourg sitting on 17 September 2026. The draft establishes three age thresholds: those under 13 will not be able to use social media independently, 13- to 14-year-olds will have access only through guardian-supervised accounts with limited features and time controls, and independent accounts may be opened from the age of 15. The rules include additional protection obligations for all users under 18 and cover not only social media but also video-sharing platforms, online games, and artificial intelligence companion applications and chatbots.
The draft bans personalised advertising to minors, algorithmic feeds fed by profiling based on past behaviour, addictive design features such as infinite scroll, reward mechanisms and notifications sent during the night; messaging of children by strangers is also blocked. According to Eunews, the burden of proof shifts to the platforms: companies must submit a compliance plan to the Commission and to independent auditors, and a period of 90 days is envisaged for reviews. According to IBTimes UK, the draft also extends the supervisory fee system in the Digital Services Act so that an annual fee is levied on certain providers under Commission supervision; the amount of the fee is not stated in the text. For the draft to become law it must be negotiated with the European Parliament and the Council, and no date of entry into force has been set.
Talay assessment
Bottom line
The EU proposes to move the online protection of children out of platforms' voluntary policies and into direct legal obligation; the shift of the burden of proof onto companies and the annual supervisory fee are the clearest signs of this. Because the draft will not be binding until it has passed through Parliament and Council negotiations, its near-term effect is regulatory uncertainty. The most likely path is a compromise in which the age thresholds are preserved but the implementation timetable is extended.
Likely effects
- Platform economicsNegative1–6 months
Age verification, privacy by default and restrictions on algorithmic feeds narrow the revenue model per minor user. The ban on personalised advertising lowers the value of ad inventory in applications that depend on a young audience.
- Compliance cost and competitionUncertain6 months+
The annual supervisory fee and the 90-day review process are a manageable cost for large platforms but may be a disproportionate burden for small providers. This carries the risk of increasing concentration in the market.
- Türkiye and non-EU marketsUncertain6 months+
Because EU rules shape global product design, age verification and default protection features may be carried over to non-EU markets including Türkiye. This changes application behaviour even without local regulation.
Possibilities, ranked
- 1Age thresholds hold, the timetable slips55%
Parliament and the Council keep the age thresholds of 13 and 15 but allow a longer transition period for the age-verification and supervisory-fee provisions.
Watch: Whether the age thresholds change in the Parliament rapporteur's draft, and the Council's general approach text.
- 2The text is markedly softened30%
Pressure from a section of the member states and from industry produces a flexible model based on parental consent instead of a ban.
Watch: The under-13 ban being converted into a 'parental consent' formula in Council negotiations.
- 3The draft stalls15%
Because age verification conflicts with privacy and member states are divided, the file is not concluded in this legislative term.
Watch: A negative opinion from data protection authorities and the file dropping off the Council agenda.
Probabilities are calibrated judgement based on the sources, not measurement, and are revised as new information arrives. Not investment advice.
Market reaction
Indicators affected
- Independent account age limit▲ 15 years
- Compliance review period▲ 90 days