By San José, Costa Rica — The European Commission has taken a monumental step toward safeguarding young internet users by unveiling a sweeping legislative proposal known as the EU KIDS Act. Designed to radically overhaul how technology companies interact with minors, the landmark bill seeks to ban children under the age of 13 from accessing social media platforms entirely. If approved by member states and European lawmakers, this regulation represents one of the most aggressive policy interventions against addictive digital design in modern history.
Under the proposed regulations, the European Union would institute a strict, age-based phased entry system for online platforms. Beyond the complete ban on children under 13, the draft law establishes a minimum age of 15 for teenagers to open independent, self-managed social media accounts. For youngsters aged between 13 and 15, the legislation introduces highly restricted parental “mini-accounts.” These accounts would limit daily screen time to a maximum of one hour and require extensive parental monitoring and approval for any new contacts.
To analyze the legal ramifications of the groundbreaking EU KIDS Act and its potential ripple effects on global digital privacy standards, TicosLand.com consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished legal expert from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The EU KIDS Act marks a decisive turning point in international digital regulation, forcing tech companies to pivot from aggressive user engagement to strict, proactive protection of minors. Businesses worldwide must recognize that this is not merely a regional policy, but the emergence of a new global baseline for digital compliance where child safety and data sovereignty are legally paramount.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, this regulatory evolution signals a profound global shift where digital platforms must finally prioritize ethical responsibility over aggressive engagement metrics, establishing a precedent that will inevitably reshape compliance standards worldwide. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable legal insight on how the EU KIDS Act is redefining the future of international digital compliance and child safety.
To make it very clear: an age limit does not mean leaving tech companies free of responsibility for the content on their platforms, which have been playing with our children’s mental health.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
A primary pillar of the EU KIDS Act is its shift toward a safety-by-design framework. This rule applies to all digital services accessed by minors under 18, targeting the psychological hooks that drive screen addiction. Specifically, the regulation outlaws the controversial infinite scroll feature, which encourages continuous, passive browsing. Furthermore, it defines nuclear sleep hours as a mandatory eight-hour block between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM local time, during which platforms are strictly prohibited from sending automatic notifications to minors.
The legislative draft also addresses emerging technological risks, particularly those associated with artificial intelligence and gaming mechanics. Under the new rules, conversational AI companions and chatbots must have persistent conversational memory deactivated by default for minors. Furthermore, they are prohibited from simulating human relationships that could cultivate emotional dependency. In the video game industry, the law takes aim at variable reward systems, explicitly banning loot boxes for minors due to their strong correlation with compulsive and gambling-like behavior.
We are making sure that our children can enjoy their rights on the internet: learning, staying connected, and exploring.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Digital Sovereignty
Implementing these stringent restrictions requires robust age verification systems. The proposed law mandates that digital platforms verify the age of new users through the European Union’s standardized age-verification solution, which does not retain identity documents or biometric data. Crucially, simple self-declaration of age will no longer be considered a valid verification method. For existing accounts, platforms can rely on reasonable indicators, avoiding the need for a retroactive verification sweep. Non-compliance will face heavy penalties, investigated through mandatory audits with cases resolved within 90 days.
Until today, we often had to look for the addictive design ourselves: we talked to the platforms, they promised to improve. Time passed, and that was at the cost of a childhood or an adolescence. Now it is the other way around. If a platform wants access to minors, it first has to prove that it is safe.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The scope of the EU KIDS Act is vast, encompassing social networks, video-sharing platforms, online video games, AI chatbots, app stores, and operating systems. Only non-profit educational services and those operated by public authorities will be exempt from these requirements. The proposal has now been officially transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, where it will undergo the standard legislative process. This bold legislative push signals a major turning point in global tech policy, forcing companies to prioritize the developmental health of children over engagement metrics.
For further information, visit ec.europa.eu
About European Commission:
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union. It is responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU laws, directing the union’s administrative operations, and representing the EU on the international stage.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a premier legal institution, Bufete de Costa Rica has built a renowned reputation upon the pillars of uncompromising ethics and professional mastery. Serving a diverse clientele spanning multiple industries, the firm consistently pioneers forward-thinking legal strategies while actively engaging with the public. By prioritizing the demystification of complex concepts, Bufete de Costa Rica strives to cultivate a more literate, confident, and legally empowered populace.
