EU will limit digital platform access to those under 15

According to the European Commission document seen by Reuters, it is planned to impose comprehensive restrictions on access to digital platforms for those under the age of 15 within the scope of the prepared regulation.

The regulation will cover social media and video platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as well as artificial intelligence chatbots and online gaming platforms such as ChatGPT.

The plan will be part of the EU Kids Act, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU chief technology officer Henna Virkkunen are expected to unveil on Thursday.

It is stated that von der Leyen may announce some details about the regulation in her State of the Union speech on Wednesday.

''TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES' ACCESS TO CHILDREN SHOULD BE LIMITED''

The Commission document emphasized that children should be able to benefit from the opportunities offered by digital services, but at the same time they must be protected from abuse and exploitation.

"The Union's approach should enable children to benefit from the great potential of digital services while protecting them from abuse and exploitation. Technology companies' access to our children should be limited, not children's access to technology companies," the document said. statements were included.

According to the draft, children's access to various digital services will be regulated gradually according to their age. Obligations imposed on companies will also vary depending on the type of service and the age of the child.

THOSE WHO ARE 15 YEARS OF AGE WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN THEIR OWN ACCOUNTS

According to the draft, children aged 15 and over will be able to open their own accounts.

Children aged 13 and 14 will only be able to use initial accounts created by their parents on social media and video sharing platforms. The number of people who can be contacted on these accounts will be limited and strict time limits will be applied.

Accounts for children between the ages of 3 and 12 will be completely under the control of parents. It is envisaged that this age group will only have access to child-friendly services that meet strict safety standards.

Children under the age of 3 will not be allowed to access these services.

It is stated that the details of the draft may change until the official announcement.

AGE VERIFICATION REQUIREMENT

Within the scope of the regulation, social media and video sharing platforms will be required to verify the age of the user when opening a new account.

Online gaming platforms will be obliged to verify age before allowing children to download games.

Companies will also be required to avoid designs that may cause addiction in children and algorithmic feeds that highlight harmful content.

It will also be mandatory for platforms to develop tools that enable children to easily report harmful content and to provide effective parental control systems.