EU Parliament urging social media ban for child influencers

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The European Parliament wants to ban children from being social media influencers, and is asking platforms to create new rules to stop it.

Okay, so I’m seeing a lot more kids becoming big stars online, and apparently the EU is starting to notice too. They’re thinking about new rules to help protect those younger streamers and YouTubers – basically, making sure things are safe for kids who are trying to build a following and make content.

I just read this new report from November 2025, and it sounds like the region is really trying to protect kids from becoming social media stars. Basically, they’re planning to make it harder for anyone under 18 to be a content creator – and discourage their parents from pushing them that way, too. It looks like they might even ban kids from social media altogether, similar to what Australia’s doing, and they’re setting up a bunch of new rules that platforms will have to follow.

The report emphasizes the need to ensure children can safely enjoy the benefits of the digital world without being taken advantage of or exposed to harm.

EU plans to ban social media for minors to prevent ‘kidfluencer’ behavior

The report specifically raises concerns about whether children involved in ‘kidfluencing’ have truly given their consent. Lawmakers are worried that by being publicly exposed and often used for commercial purposes, these children could be exploited without their knowledge or agreement.

When parents share photos and videos of their children online for profit – often as “family influencers” – it creates serious concerns about whether the children truly consent, their right to privacy, and the possibility of them being exploited for financial gain. This is especially concerning because there aren’t clear legal or ethical guidelines in place to protect them.

With many of today’s top influencers being kids, members of Parliament are concerned that parents are increasingly encouraging their children to create content for the camera.

Similar to how laws protect young actors, the European Parliament has noted that some countries are now safeguarding child influencers. They’re pushing for these protections to be consistent across all EU nations.

To reach their objective, they want social media companies to stop paying or rewarding children for creating content online – a practice known as ‘kidfluencing.’

Children under 13 wouldn’t be allowed to create social media accounts. Teens between 13 and 16 would need their parents’ permission to sign up.

The report from November 2025 only points out potential issues and what officials are considering for the future. Members of the EU Parliament still need to write and approve new laws to either protect child influencers or prevent them from working.

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2025-12-01 03:19