Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 16 OCTOBER 2026

EU KIDS Act: Brussels Rewrites The Rules For Digital Services For Minors

ADVANT Nctm
ADVANT Nctm
Contributor
ADVANT Nctm

ADVANT Nctm

Founded in 2000, ADVANT Nctm is an independent law firm with 85 partners and about 360 lawyers and...

View firm profile
Explore more from ADVANT Nctm

The European Commission's proposed EU Kids Act introduces sweeping new requirements for digital service providers, establishing a harmonised age threshold of 15 for social media access and mandating safety-by-design principles across online platforms. This comprehensive regulatory framework fundamentally reshapes how providers must verify ages, design interfaces, and protect minors in the digital space, with sanctions reaching up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover for non-compliance.

European UnionPrivacy
Giulio Uras
Giulio Uras

On 17 September 2026, the European Commission presented its proposal for a Regulation known as the EU Kids Act (EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy). The proposal addresses the main outstanding issues concerning the protection of minors online – minimum age requirements for access to social networks, the age for digital consent, responsible service design and age verification – seeking to bring them within a single harmonised framework. If adopted, this Regulation will fundamentally reshape the relationship between minors, digital services and AI systems in the internal market.

A broader scope than expected

The proposal is based on Article 114 TFEU and builds on the framework of the Digital Services Act, specifying and complementing its provisions, while also complementing the AI Act with specific safeguards for minors. Its scope is significantly broader than that of the individual national measures announced to date (including Italian Bill No. 1136) and

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Pseudonymised, Not Anonymous: What The Italian Garante’s €7 Million IQVIA Fine Means For Health Data

The Italian data protection authority fined IQVIA Solutions Italy €7 million for treating patient records as anonymous when they were actually pseudonymised personal data subject to GDPR. This decision demonstrates regulators' strict interpretation of what constitutes personal data, even as the EU considers narrowing this definition through the Digital Omnibus reforms.
GlobalPrivacy
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter
Article

Tracking Pixels In Emails: The Garante’s New Guidelines And Requirements For Businesses

The Italian Data Protection Authority has issued comprehensive guidelines on tracking pixels in email communications, establishing strict transparency and consent requirements for both public and private entities. Organizations now face a six-month compliance deadline to overhaul their email marketing practices, update privacy notices, and implement granular consent mechanisms for these invisible tracking tools.
ItalyPrivacy
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

Tracking Pixel And Email: New Guidelines Issued By The Italian Data Protection Authority To Be Implemented By 29 October 2026

On 17 April 2026, the Italian Data Protection Authority ( Garante per la protezione dei dati personali ) (“ Italian DPA ”) adopted the “ Guidelines on the Use of Tracking Pixel in email Communications ” ( doc. web n. 10241943 ), which set out the applicable legal framework, transparency obligations and conditions for obtaining consent for all entities using tracking pixels.
ItalyPrivacy
Chiomenti
Chiomenti
Article

When AI Meets Children: Italy’s Garante Fines Character.AI Over Transparency And Safeguarding Failures

The Italian Data Protection Authority has issued a landmark decision against Character Technologies, Inc., examining how generative AI services must comply with GDPR requirements when processing personal data for model training and operation. The case establishes critical precedents for transparency obligations, age verification mechanisms, and the timing of data protection impact assessments for AI developers operating in the European Union.
European UnionPrivacy
GVZH Advocates
GVZH Advocates
Article

The Rules Of Artificial Intelligence: From The “Primacy” Of The Ai Act To Multilevel Fragmentation

As artificial intelligence regulation proliferates globally, the question has shifted from whether to regulate AI to how best to govern it across multiple jurisdictions. Italy's implementation of the EU AI Act through Law No. 132 of 2025 reveals both the challenges of multilevel governance and the critical role legal professionals must play in balancing innovation with rights protection.
European UnionTechnology
ADVANT Nctm
ADVANT Nctm
Article

Definitive FER-X Scheme: Preliminary Qualification As A New Gateway To Competitive Procedures And Its Impact On The Market

Italy's new Definitive FER-X Scheme introduces a preliminary qualification mechanism for renewable energy projects seeking incentives, fundamentally changing how developers access competitive procedures for photovoltaic, wind, hydroelectric, and wastewater treatment gas plants. This early-stage assessment by GSE crystallizes project data and requirements, potentially creating a new market threshold that could affect project valuations and M&A transactions. Will preliminary qualification evolve beyond a proc
ItalyEnergy and Natural Resources
ADVANT Nctm
ADVANT Nctm