this European Commission Submitted on September 17EU Children’s Actlegislative proposals aimed at standardizing rules Internet protection for minors. The measure mainly concerns social networks, but also includes video-sharing services, online games and artificial intelligence systems.
One of the core elements of the proposal is the introduction of The minimum age to create an independent account on social networks and related services is 15 years old. Access to social media will be prohibited for minors under the age of 13, while minors between the ages of 13 and 15 will be able to use accounts managed by their parents with limited functionality. For the latter, the Commission also limits the use of social media to one hour per day.
As for the video game realm, the situation is more complicated than initial rumors suggested. In fact, the proposal includes online games, and the supervision of video games that do not fall within the scope of online platforms will be entrusted to the national competent authority. The Children’s Act also stipulates Age verification system and security measures Designed specifically for minors.
Tim Sweeney’s Fear
The Commission’s declared goal is Transfer some responsibility to the service provider. Platforms need to demonstrate that their services are age-appropriate and “safe by design” rather than simply intervening after problems arise. The committee also recommended restricting some practices considered particularly problematic for minors and imposing fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover for non-compliance.
The proposal has already sparked reactions from the gaming industry. Tim Sweeney, CEO, Epic Gamespublicly criticized the move, arguing that overly strict regulation would not only limit access to entertainment, but also limit the creative possibilities offered by video games and content creation tools.
Speaking about Fortnite Creative and Roblox Studio, Sweeney wrote: “Today’s apps and games are yesterday’s paintbrushes and treehouses. Fortnite has Creative Mode, Roblox has Roblox Studio Becoming a digital creator is something everyone can do, until politicians take it away. “It must also be noted that the companies that provide these tools profit from the work of young people who post their experiences online, so much so that there have been accusations of child labor exploitation for years.
Roblox accused of child labor exploitation
The Epic executive also framed what he sees as the likely impact of the regulation as “terrible for the next generation of humanity,” not only regarding the use of video games but also the likelihood that young people will play them. Use them as creative tools. Of course, this is Sweeney’s position on the measure, not the European Commission’s assessment.
The Children’s Bill is currently only a proposal and not legislation that is already in force. in fact it must Complete the subsequent European legislative procedures and may change during the approval process. The Committee believes that the goal is to establish a common framework for the protection of minors in order to prevent the different rules of various Member States from creating inconsistent levels of protection.
