EU wants social media from age 15 – and Switzerland?
Ursula von der Leyen wants to completely ban social media for children under 13 with the "Kids Act." A tiered model is intended to protect teenagers up to the age of 15. This could also be significant for Switzerland.
If it were up to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, children under 13 would no longer have access to platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or Facebook in the future. She announced this last Wednesday in her State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. With the so-called Kids Act, the EU is following the example of Australia, which introduced an age limit some time ago.
Three-tier model for the EU
The plan divides social media usage into three tiers. Under 13, social media is not allowed at all. Between 13 and 15, there is a transitional model: teenagers are allowed to use so-called mini-accounts. Parents or teachers are expected to monitor these. These accounts are to include a technical limitation. After one hour, it should be over. A separate, self-managed account with full functionality will only be available from the age of 15.
With this, von der Leyen is even going beyond the recommendation of the EU expert commission. The commission had previously also proposed a multi-tier model, but it had envisioned an independent account starting at age 13.
Source: Shutterstock
Platforms must limit addictive mechanisms
For user accounts to be permitted at all from age 15, platforms must meet several technical requirements for a "child- and youth-friendly" operation. The Commission states that certain design elements that are designed for addictive behavior must be removed. Specifically, this means: no endless scrolling – there must be an "exit" – and no automatically starting videos. In addition, there will be built-in technical precautions to limit screen time and other protective measures that still need to be defined in more detail.
While some platform operators point out that their terms and conditions already stipulate a minimum age of 13, the Commission estimates that this is hardly monitored and that a proper age verification is still largely missing.
Von der Leyen justified the planned measures by stating that children and adolescents are increasingly suffering from sleep deprivation, anxiety, and declining concentration. This is attributed to intensive mobile phone and social media use. In particular, endless scrolling is said to ensure that children are drawn further and further into feeds. This is also confirmed by a scientific study from France, which links increased social media consumption among young people to depression as well as eating and concentration disorders.
What should the law cover?
A binding law does not yet exist. However, only the EU Commission can introduce directives and regulations into the legislative process. The authority already wants to present a formulated legislative proposal with the technical details. After that, the draft will go through the ordinary legislative procedure. The European Parliament and the individual member states must deal with it and reach an agreement, which can take months or years.
Source: Instagram
Legally, the project is based on existing EU digital laws, through which Brussels can force platforms to take certain measures. For example, with the Digital Services Act, which already obliges large providers to conduct risk assessments for underage users. However, there is no specific age restriction yet. The new proposal is intended to close this gap.
This is not intended to be limited to classic social networks. Online games and AI chatbots are also affected. Other VLOPs (very large online platforms) are expected to explain how they intend to protect minors from unsuitable content or mechanisms when introducing new services or features.
What would this mean for adults?
In principle, the need for age verification applies to everyone. For adults, this would be noticeable primarily when registering for new online services. Whether app stores, gaming platforms, or social media: everyone would have to disclose their age here. An exception is only provided if a user account has existed for a long time and the provider can determine with a high degree of certainty that the required age has been reached. For age verification, the Commission is relying on its own age verification app, but also wants to allow other technical solutions as long as the specified requirements are met. The age verification app is intended to function without a classic identity check. The tool only transmits confirmation to the provider that the age limit has been exceeded. This procedure is called "Zero-Knowledge-Proof". Every EU state must provide at least one free access method – even for people who do not want a digital ID card.
Why is the law coming now?
At the national level, France has already forged ahead: the parliament in Paris passed its own law in July 2026, becoming the first EU country to do so. This has been in effect since September 1st. Initially for new accounts, and from January 2027 also for existing ones. Unlike the EU proposal, there is no tiered model, but a simple age limit. Platforms must ensure that this is met via a procedure approved by the French data protection authority.
Other EU states are also already in the planning stages, such as Austria, Spain, or Portugal. This is one reason why the Commission is now pushing for a uniform solution. A patchwork of different national solutions would make enforcement against globally active Big Tech companies difficult and complicate the European internal market.
What is Switzerland doing?
Switzerland is not bound by the planned requirements from Brussels. European law experts point out that Switzerland does not automatically adopt European law regarding media and data protection regulations. Nevertheless, it is possible – if only for practical reasons – that Switzerland will orient itself towards it. This could happen, for example, if platform operators decide to adapt their apps EU-wide. However, there have been changes in the EU in the past that did not affect Switzerland, for example with the App Stores.
Switzerland is also discussing a law to regulate communication platforms and search engines. The so-called KomPG has completed the consultation phase. The results report is currently expected. Although this law obliges providers to set up reporting offices for abuse, it lacks concrete measures for the protection of children and adolescents. Algorithms and AI chatbots are also only marginally affected by the law. Furthermore, the technical possibility for age verification with guaranteed data protection is missing in Switzerland. With the E-ID, this could change. Currently, however, it is a matter of waiting for developments.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
Interesting facts about products, behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturers and deep-dives on interesting people.
Show all
