EU freezes national social media bans for minors for at least 12 months

Commission freezes national bills

On Thursday, 29 October 2026, the European Commission decided to postpone for at least 12 months any national draft law that overlaps with the harmonised EU rules still under negotiation. Spokesperson Thomas Regnier announced the decision alongside the Commission's opinion on an Austrian bill that would ban social media for under-14s, which was due the same day. Under the EU's TRIS notification procedure, a notified bill is normally frozen for three months, a period that can be extended to a year. The Commission argues that different ages and different laws across member states would make compliance nearly impossible for platforms.

Five countries in the queue

The Commission has received notifications from several member states, and Regnier named Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Belgium and France. The Belgian case concerns Flanders, whose draft would ban social media for under-13s. Regnier said Brussels does not intend to fragment the single market and warned that a patchwork of national rules would leave platforms unable to apply them. Asked whether the delay leaves minors less protected while EU rules are drafted, he said platforms would be held responsible under the Digital Services Act in the meantime.

What the Kids Act would change

The Commission unveiled the Kids Act in mid-September 2026. As described by BFMTV, the draft would ban social media for under-13s, while 13 to 15 year olds would get mini-accounts linked to a parent's account and limited to one hour of use per day. It also targets features that keep minors online longer, such as dark patterns and gamification mechanics. The text still needs approval from the European Parliament and the member states, and the Commission wants that process accelerated.

France, Greece and Italy

Regnier said the French and Greek cases differ slightly from the Austrian one, because their standstill periods had already expired before the Kids Act proposal was tabled. Greece has already approved a ban on social media for minors. France's law banning social media for under-15s, passed earlier this summer, was struck down by the Constitutional Council on freedom of expression grounds. President Emmanuel Macron has promised a new, legally sound law by spring 2027, and reports say it may escape the freeze because Paris notified Brussels before mid-September.

In Italy, bill 1136 has been stalled for more than a year while awaiting government opinions. Reports cite a government line that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is neither opposed to nor hostile toward the ban for very young people, though she has not explicitly endorsed it. Fratelli d'Italia urged Parliament to pass the bill, and the Democratic Party and Italia Viva followed. European MEP Sandro Ruotolo of the Democratic Party welcomed the Commission's decision and called for a single law across the bloc.

“Every European minor must be able to count on the same rights and the same protections.”

Ruotolo added that age limits alone are not enough and that platforms must address algorithms and features that foster dependence.

Next steps

The Commission wants to speed up talks between itself, the European Parliament and the Council on the Kids Act. Regnier stressed that approving the Kids Act is the absolute priority for the institutions. Until then, the Commission says it will enforce the Digital Services Act rigorously, and it has promised that platforms will be held accountable for harm to minors. The Italian bill now risks stalling after Brussels' decision.