Protecting children, empowering families and Malta’s role

The European Union has taken an important step towards creating a safer and more responsible digital future for children. On 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for stronger online safeguards during her State of the Union address.

The following day, the commission formally presented the proposed EU Kids Act, intended to establish common standards for protecting minors across Europe.

Furthermore, this initiative should be understood as more than another set of restrictions as it politically represents a choice about the kind of society Europe wants to build. The EU is signalling that technological progress must serve people and that children’s well-being cannot be treated as secondary to advertising, online engagement or corporate profit.

Social media has brought considerable benefits by allowing young people to communicate, learn, express themselves and participate in public life. However, it has also exposed them to cyberbullying, harmful material, sexual exploitation, contact from strangers and systems deliberately designed to hold their attention. Artificial-intelligence chatbots and digital companions have introduced further concerns, particularly when children develop emotional dependence on technology that imitates human relationships.

Under the proposed Kids Act, children younger than 13 would not be allowed to create social-media accounts. Those aged between 13 and 15 would have access only through restricted accounts operating under parental supervision. Moreover, these accounts could include limits on screen time, contacts and available functions. Users aged between 15 and 18 would continue to access digital services, but platforms would have to provide stronger protections.

The legislation would extend beyond traditional social networks to video-sharing services, online games, AI chatbots and digital companions. Platforms would be required to verify users’ ages, provide practical parental controls and make children’s accounts private by default with young users also need simple ways to block, mute and report others.

Importantly, the proposal addresses the design of digital platforms and potentially addictive features, including infinite scrolling, engagement rewards and recommendation feeds based on personal profiling which would be restricted for minors. These measures show a welcome change in political thinking. For many years, responsibility for online safety was placed mainly on parents and children. The new European approach recognises that families cannot carry this burden alone. Companies that design and profit from digital environments must also accept responsibility for the consequences of their products.

The proposal still requires negotiation and approval by the European Parliament and EU governments, including Malta. Legitimate questions remain, particularly regarding privacy and age verification must not lead to the unnecessary collection of children’s identity documents or personal information. Europe must prove that it can protect children without weakening their right to privacy.

Malta has an opportunity to make a constructive contribution to this debate, and the Labour Government had already begun discussing restrictions before the EU announcement. In October 2025, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced plans to address social-media use among children aged 13 and under. Abela had later clarified that Malta did not favour an indiscriminate or excessively severe ban, instead supporting a balanced response involving education, parental participation, sensible restrictions and greater responsibility from technology companies.

This balanced position can become Malta’s strength during the European negotiations even though being a small member state. Our country may not possess the political weight of Europe’s largest countries, but it can still offer practical ideas and help build consensus. Malta can argue for rules that are strong enough to protect children, flexible enough to respect different family circumstances and technologically sound enough to preserve privacy.

Schools could strengthen media-literacy education, parents could receive better guidance, and children could be included in discussions about the online environments they use every day. Malta’s technology and gaming sectors could contribute to developing effective age-assurance tools and child-friendly design standards.

The political objective should not be to frighten children away from technology, but it should be able to create a digital environment in which they can explore, learn and communicate without being manipulated or placed at unnecessary risk. Protection and innovation do not have to be opposing forces because with thoughtful regulation, they can reinforce one another.

The Kids Act therefore offers Europe, and Malta, a chance to lead with confidence and values as it could demonstrate that democratic institutions can respond to technological change while defending freedom, privacy and human dignity. Europe’s digital future should remain innovative, but it should also be fair, humane and worthy of the next generation.