EU Plans Social Media Age Limit and Warns of AI Hacking
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen linked two issues in her State of the European Union speech on September 16, 2026: the danger of increasingly powerful AI systems and the protection of children on social media.
She warned that AI models currently in development could enable hacking at a scale never seen before and would soon end up in the hands of adversaries with very different goals than democratic countries. As an example of the growing concern over self-improving models, she referenced an incident involving Hugging Face, without giving further details.
As a countermeasure, von der Leyen pointed to the existing EU AI Act and announced closer cooperation with partners such as Canada and the United Kingdom to find joint solutions for handling risky AI models.
At the same time, she introduced the planned 'Kids Act': children under 13 would no longer be allowed to use social media accounts at all, and those under 15 would only get limited, parent-supervised mini accounts with time restrictions. Platforms would also have to remove addictive features like endless scrolling, and using children's photos for AI-driven sexualization would be explicitly banned.
Von der Leyen also cited the death of 14-year-old Olea Orban from Belgium, who took her own life after being cyberbullied on social media, quoting her mother: 'I am convinced that had it not been for these omnipresent networks, my daughter would still be with us.'
It remains unclear exactly how the age brackets and time limits will be finalized, since the details given so far differ slightly, and whether the European Parliament and member states will actually support this standalone legislative proposal. Technical details of the planned age-verification systems are also not yet settled.
WHY IT MATTERS
The announcement shows that the EU now treats both the rising risk of AI-powered cyberattacks and the dangers of social media for children as urgent policy issues.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
- Set up supervised accounts for kids If your child is under 15, consider setting up a supervised account with limited features whenever the platform allows it. This lets you manage screen time and see who your child interacts with online.
- Avoid sharing children's photos publicly Try not to post photos of children openly online, since such images can be misused for AI-driven sexualization. Share these photos only privately with people you truly trust.
- Keep devices and accounts updated Install updates for your phone, computer, and apps as soon as they are available, since many close known security gaps. Also use a strong password and, if possible, an extra login confirmation step for important accounts.
- Seek help early if bullying happens Talk openly with your child if they are being bullied online, and reach out to school staff, counseling services, or the platform's reporting tools. Acting early makes it much easier to resolve the situation.