EU Kids Act under pressure as member states push ahead with own social media age bans

European governments are moving ahead with national bans on children's access to social media rather than wait for the European Commission's EU Kids Act, exposing a growing gap between Brussels timelines and national political urgency.

The Commission proposed the EU Kids Act in September. It would bar under-13s from most social media platforms and impose strict limits for under-15s. But Greece's parliament has already passed legislation setting the threshold at 15, while Cyprus's ministers approved their own ban for under-15s on the same day the Commission put forward its proposal. Italy's stalled effort to protect under-14s has also found new momentum.

Denmark's digital minister Christina Egelund said her government was pressing forward with national legislation because the problems were urgent and children should not be asked to wait.

By Thursday, the Commission must give its first formal indication of how it intends to handle divergent national rules. Its response to Austria's proposal to bar social media access for under-14s will be the first such test.

Portugal formally notified the Commission of its own law shortly after the EU Kids Act was proposed, asking whether Lisbon's plans comply with European rules. Germany has also not shown signs of slowing its national process.

Capitals say they still favour a harmonised EU law, citing existing rules that give Brussels oversight of large platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The age threshold, however, remains contested, with countries preferring limits ranging from 13 to 16. Agreeing a final text and implementing the Kids Act is expected to take more than a year.