Government wants minimum age for social media
The Netherlands backs European age limits as Brussels prepares a proposal for phased access and stricter platform rules.
The government wants to advocate a legally enforceable minimum age of fifteen for social media in Europe while platforms remain insufficiently safe. The European Commission has meanwhile proposed a broader EU KIDS Act, but it is not yet law.
The central government website states that, under the 2026 coalition agreement, the government is committed to a European minimum age of fifteen for social media. According to the government, age verification should respect privacy and establish only whether someone is old enough, without processing other personal data.
The European Commission’s proposal opts for a phased model. Children under thirteen would not be granted access to social media. Young people aged thirteen to fifteen would have access only through a parent-managed mini-account, with limited functions and a one-hour daily time limit. From the age of fifteen, young people would be able to manage an account themselves.
The proposal goes beyond age limits. Platforms would have to restrict features that encourage excessive use, such as endless scrolling, reward mechanisms and night-time push notifications. Minors’ profiles would have to be private by default, and contact with strangers would be restricted.
AI chatbots and digital companions are also covered by the proposal. They would have to be disabled by default for minors and must not encourage emotional dependence. The Commission also says that large platforms should demonstrate in advance that their services have been designed to be safe for children.
The European plans are still at the beginning of the legislative process. The European Parliament and the Council must discuss the proposal and adopt a final text. Until then, this announcement does not automatically change access to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or other services.
The Dutch position may collide with practical and legal questions in the negotiations. Age verification may protect children better, but it could also result in more data processing or errors involving users who cannot properly demonstrate how old they are. Moreover, the question remains of how a fifteen-year limit would be enforced outside European platforms and through alternative accounts.
The government therefore links age limits to broader measures, such as safer design choices, better enforcement of the Digital Services Act, and support for parents and children. The political choice is not only about when children gain access, but also about how much responsibility will rest with families, schools, platforms and governments.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Netherlands wants to advocate a minimum age of fifteen in Europe.
- The European Commission has published a proposal for phased access.
- The proposal still has to be considered by the European Parliament and the Council.
- Age verification and safe design are components of the proposal.
Left
Arguments Platforms profit from children’s attention and should therefore bear far more responsibility. A statutory age limit, stricter design rules and robust enforcement are needed to subordinate commercial incentives to children’s wellbeing.
Values Children’s rights, public protection and limiting market power.
Consequences Children could be better protected, but platforms and government would have to organise more far-reaching checks and oversight.
Centre
Arguments Age limits can help, but they are credible only if they respect privacy, are workable and form part of a broader package. Parents, schools, platforms and European regulators must each be given a clear role.
Values Proportionality, legal certainty and institutional feasibility.
Consequences A step-by-step approach may increase support, but protection will not be equal everywhere straight away.
Right
Arguments Parents should remain primarily responsible for their children’s online lives. The state should tackle platforms when they cause real harm, but prevent general age checks from leading to surveillance or paternalism.
Values Parental authority, individual freedom and privacy.
Consequences Less centralised control can protect fundamental rights, but may also produce greater differences between families.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The policy intentions and the content of the EU proposal were checked directly against Dutch and European government sources. The text clearly distinguishes between existing policy, the national position and a proposal that has not yet been adopted.
- confirmed The government supports a legally enforceable European minimum age of fifteen. — The central government describes this as part of the 2026 coalition agreement. source
- confirmed The European Commission proposed an EU KIDS Act. — Commission publication of 17 September 2026. source
- confirmed The proposal gives young people aged thirteen to fifteen access through limited parent-managed accounts. — The age categories are set out in the Commission’s explanatory memorandum. source
- incorrect The EU KIDS Act is already binding legislation. — The proposal still has to be considered by Parliament and the Council. source
Editor's note
The Dutch position and the European proposal have been officially published. The EU KIDS Act is a proposal and not yet applicable law.Sources
- Kabinet pleit in Europa voor minimumleeftijd voor sociale media — Rijksoverheid
- EU KIDS Act: helping children navigate a safer online world — Europese Commissie
- Social media beperkingen voor minderjarigen in de hele EU — Vertegenwoordiging van de Europese Commissie in Nederland
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „sociale media”
- NOS — „sociale media”
- Het Parool — „sociale media”