Ban Proposal in the EU: no AI Chatbots and Social Media Before 15
The EU is Planning to Ban Those Under 15 from Using AI Chatbots and Social Media
The ban is part of the EU Kids Act, and its goal is to minimize the negative effects of early exposure to social media on children.
A ban on social media and AI chatbots might be coming young Europeans' way. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the ban in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
In her speech, von der Leyen suggested that access to social media should be blocked entirely for those under 13. Between the ages of 13 and 15, accounts with limited features and time restrictions should be allowed, with full parental supervision. And for those aged 15 to 18, safe, child-friendly platform design will be a must.
"I am aware that many perceive the power of Big Tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree. We do not have to accept addictive features. We do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content. We do not have to accept that girls have their photos used for AI-generated sexualized images," claimed von der Leyen.
As the European Commission President stated, on average, young Europeans spend 4 to 6 hours staring at screens daily. She called this "a great capture of our children" and went on to explain that with smartphones in their hands all day long, children can no longer handle being bored. They spend less time talking to others, use their imagination less, and fail to form their own opinions. All of this ultimately harms children's cognitive skills and essentially deprives them of their childhood.
"Day and night, parents see the cost: loss of sleep, anxiety, even self-harm. And in a growing number of cases, even fatal tragedies," commented von der Leyen. "Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not Big Tech," she added.
The Big Tech in question responded quickly. Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney expressed his disagreement, calling today's apps and games "the paintbrushes and tree forts of yesterday" and suggesting that with this ban, the EU would take away young digital creators' right to express their vision. Most users are not buying it, however, questioning the ethics of Sweeney's statement. "You are terrified that kids won't swipe their parents' credit cards in Fortnite for a Logan Paul skin," a user replied.
It is proposed that the new rules affect AI chatbots, video-sharing platforms, and online gaming services as well. Under the new ban in the making, children aged 3 to 12 will only be able to have accounts run by their parents, and those under 3 will not be allowed to have any accounts on those platforms, even with full parental control. The EU is also planning to check applications for addictive design features to avoid harmful influence on underage users.
All of these newly suggested regulations are subject to change, and the final version of the EU's policy on social media use among children will be clear once the EU formally announces the proposal.