RSF - Reporters sans frontières

10/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2026 03:25

When protecting minors online, the EU must guarantee their right to reliable information

The proposed EU regulation on the protection of minors online, the EU KIDS Act, aims to better protect young people from the risks associated with social media and other digital services. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the move to make platforms more accountable, but regrets that the proposal has a major blind spot concerning the quality of the information available to children. Given the increasingly important role digital services play in minors' access to information, this omission is difficult to understand.

With the EU KIDS Act, the EU Commission aims to significantly strengthen the protection of minors online. However, the proposal overlooks a fundamental issue: minors' right to access reliable information. It provides for gradual access to social media: no accounts for children under 13, restricted accounts under parental supervision for those aged 13 to 15, and independent access from the age of 15. The Commission also proposes reversing the burden of proof: platforms would have to demonstrate that their services are suitable for minors and "safe by design", in the words of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when she announced the proposal on 17 September 2026. The proposed regulation therefore seeks to address a wide range of risks, particularly those that can affect mental health or disrupt learning.

Strengthening the reliability of online information

Disinformation had already been identified as a concern. The expert report commissioned by the EU Commission president and published in March 2026 listed it among the risks to which minors are particularly exposed. The EU Parliament had also highlighted the problem as early as 26 November 2025. In an initial resolution, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) notably called for stronger media literacy education to better equip young people to deal with disinformation.

On 17 September 2026, the day the Commission presented the EU KIDS Act, the EU Parliament adopted a second resolution on the influence of social media on young people. MEPs called for recommendation systems to give "more visibility to reliable and age-appropriate content and services provided by such professional media organisations". They also recommended combating disinformation by promoting "reliable sources through educational tools and algorithmic recommendations".

"Promoting reliable sources of information is exactly the right way forward. Ensuring a safe digital environment for all citizens, especially minors, also means giving them effective access to reliable, diverse sources of journalistic information and teaching them how to identify and navigate these sources. In the coming months, the European Union must enshrine in law an obligation to give greater prominence to reliable sources of information, whether through the EU KIDS Act or another means, such as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). This would make the quality of the information environment an integral part of protecting young users' fundamental rights.

RSF calls on EU co-legislators to improve the Commission's proposal by fully incorporating this dimension into the text. The issue is not just whether minors can access platforms, but also how those platforms' algorithms operate. These are largely determined by private interests rather than the protection of citizens' right to reliable information. This is why RSF advocates a regulatory approach based on protecting the right to reliable information, rather than banning access to social media."

Vincent Berthier
Head of RSF's Technology and Journalism Desk

Digital platforms are minors' main gateway to information

Young Europeans obtain much of their information through personalised feeds on digital platforms, where news, entertainment and disinformation are mixed together without always being clearly distinguished. According to the Youth Eurobarometer published by the EU Parliament in February 2025, 45% of 16- to 18-year-olds primarily use social media, particularly Instagram, to follow political and social news.

This comes with risks: 76% of 16- to 30-year-olds said they had been exposed to false information in the seven days preceding the survey. In their resolution of 17 September 2026, MEPs underscored the problem, noting that "many users experience challenges in assessing the reliability of information encountered online".

Innovating where other legislation has failed

In Australia, the ban on social media for children under 16, which came into force in December 2025, appears to have had very limited effect. According to the country's eSafety regulator, more than 81% of the minors concerned were still using these platforms in March 2026.

In France, meanwhile, a bill introduced by MP Laure Miller of the Ensemble pour la République party, backed by the government and adopted on 21 July 2026, was dealt a severe blow by the Constitutional Council. In its decision of 14 August 2026, the Council struck down Article 1, which would have banned children under 15 from using social media, on the grounds that it disproportionately infringed their freedom of expression and communication. The ruling effectively gutted the law.

Published on 09.10.2026
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