Common Sense Media Supports EU Kids Act Proposal

San Francisco, Sept. 17,2026 - In response to the EU Kids Act proposal to prohibit children under 13 from social media accounts, James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media issued the following statement:

"With strict age limits on social media access and a ban on addictive and unsafe features for minors, today's proposed EU Kids Act is another landmark victory for kids and families.

EU President Ursula von der Leyen has kept the promise she made at Common Sense Media's inaugural summit in Copenhagen in May to protect kids and families across Europe from the harms of social media. As she said in Copenhagen and repeated in yesterday's State of the European Union Address, from now on, tech platforms will have to prove they are safe: 'It is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors.'

This is a huge step forward for kids and families across Europe. Thanks to President von der Leyen's leadership, Europe will usher in a new era of tech protection for kids and teens. The EU proposal builds on the work of other leaders around the world, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and many others.

The past few weeks have been a historic breakthrough for kids and families. Last week, I stood with California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he signed historic bipartisan legislation championed by Common Sense Media to strengthen California's nation-leading child safety chatbot and social media laws. Those new landmark laws will create the nation's strongest companion chatbot regulations in the U.S. and ban addictive features such as autoplay and algorithmic feeds based on user history and profile. New legislation will also protect kids from targeted advertising, online exploitation, and abuse."

About Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.4 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.