EU KIDS Act draft adopted Sept 17, 2026 — sweeping limits on under‑13 access and game hooks

Under the draft’s age rules, independent accounts would only be permitted from age 15. Children under 13 would be prevented from directly accessing social platforms, while 13‑ to 15‑year‑olds could use “mini accounts” tied to a guardian’s profile. The text also caps video‑service use and mini‑account screen time at one hour per day for children who share a guardian’s device and for mini accounts covering ages roughly between 3 and 13. Those are explicit, age‑segmented limits written into the proposal.

The scope for games is broad: all online games sold in the EU would fall under the rules, regardless of distribution platform, with the exception of explicitly educational products. Pure single‑player titles are excluded, which means most live‑service games — the ones that offer recurring login incentives and social features — would be captured by the new requirements. The draft places particular emphasis on curbing “access inducements,” so mechanics like daily login rewards or systems that penalize non‑attendance are likely to be barred for underage accounts. Games must also limit minor‑to‑minor contact and add mandatory parental‑control tools that let young players quickly adjust content exposure and communication settings.

The proposal tightens age verification and platform responsibilities. Developers and stores must implement reliable, privacy‑conscious age checks: simple self‑declaration is not acceptable. App stores may share age‑verified data with developers if the user consents, and platforms are urged to adopt an EU age‑verification app that meets personal‑data protections (not storing identity documents or biometric data). For new signups, stringent verification is required; for existing accounts, the draft allows reasonable proxies such as payment method details or account creation timestamps to estimate age. AI features are called out as well: in‑game AI companions that could foster emotional bonds or dependency must be strictly managed, cannot auto‑activate, and should not be displayed prominently.

Lootbox odds and virtual‑currency transparency are treated prominently in the law’s introduction but largely do not appear in the concrete regulatory clauses in this draft; the omission leaves that topic poised for further debate during negotiations. The draft also aims to strengthen legally binding versions of age‑rating systems like PEGI, a move that could create jurisdictional friction with existing national youth protection bodies such as Germany’s USK. The Commission is pushing for relatively fast progress: it cites a 2026 Eurobarometer result showing 92% of Europeans put protecting children from online harms, cyberbullying, and addictive design high on the policy list.