This will occur as part of an initiative to enhance the protection of minors on the internet, reports Politico.
According to Politico, the European Commission has prepared the EU Kids Act legislation, which proposes age restrictions for several categories of online platforms. Primarily, it concerns social networks but also affects video services, AI assistants, and online games.
The full details of the legislation are not yet known, but it is expected that if passed, it will introduce multi-layered barriers for young internet users in the European Union. For instance, children up to the age of 15 will not be able to create accounts on supervised online games and platforms themselves—this will be done by parents or guardians if necessary. However, even with an account, children will not have full freedom, as many of their actions will be limited by parental controls.
According to Politico's information, the proposal is set to be officially presented tomorrow, September 17. Following that, it will go through a lengthy approval process.
Such initiatives have recently been discussed in many countries. For instance, Australia has already introduced restrictions for children in social media and online games.
Updated: The European Commission has officially presented the legislation.