The European Union’s sweeping new internet regulation could sever millions of children from the online spaces they rely on for learning, community, and creative expression. The proposed EU KIDS ACT, designed to shield minors from digital harms, threatens to replace active online engagement with passive alternatives like television.
The legislation arrives as regulators worldwide grapple with youth screen time, but its one-size-fits-all framework has alarmed child development experts and digital rights advocates. Instead of targeting provable harms, the measure imposes blunt restrictions across vastly different platforms, from social media to chess apps.
Under the proposal, children under 13 would face outright bans from social media and video-sharing services. Teens aged 13 and 14 could access only restricted versions with guardian approval. Yet parental controls remain underused, with adoption rates ranging from 35 to 51 percent depending on the device, suggesting many young people would simply lose access entirely.
Livestreaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Live would fall under the video-sharing category, potentially blocking users under 15 from watching content. The Commission’s own reports identify risks only for children hosting streams, not viewing them. Meanwhile, platforms such as Chess.com, Strava, and Spotify fall under the Digital Markets Act definition of social networking services, meaning they too could face restrictions despite encouraging reading, exercise, and skill development.
As a result, children may gravitate toward television, a passive medium linked to attention problems in young children. Active screen time, by contrast, involves ongoing engagement and community participation, producing both positive and negative developmental outcomes.
The regulation also ignores socioeconomic realities. Parents cannot always provide private clubs or safe green spaces as offline alternatives. Sports teams and music teachers use social networks for sign-ups and updates. Removing these tools may not drive children outdoors; it may simply isolate them.
Policymakers should target demonstrable harms such as unmoderated child-adult interactions and real-time risks on livestreams. Blanket restrictions on technologies that also deliver benefits will push children toward poorer screen choices. The one-hour daily limit proposed for teens could block a child from watching a math tutorial or socializing through online games.
Before imposing further constraints, the Commission should present evidence that removing children from online communities improves their wellbeing. Vulnerable youth, including those with disabilities who describe social media as a lifeline, would suffer disproportionately. Digital solitary confinement may keep children safe from outside danger, but it also cuts them off from relationships, information, and culture.
