Overview
- Taking effect on December 10, the law compels designated platforms to block sign‑ups and deactivate accounts held by users under 16 or face penalties of up to €28 million.
- Covered services include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and Kick; WhatsApp, Pinterest and Roblox are exempt, and YouTube can be viewed without signing in.
- Meta, YouTube, TikTok and others criticized the policy yet pledged to comply, with Meta starting mass removals and X confirming enforcement; the government said about 200,000 TikTok accounts were disabled on day one with more to follow.
- Age checks combine AI estimation from selfies (Yoti for Meta, k‑ID for Snapchat), third‑party document verification and behavioral signals applied to suspected under‑age users, and regulators warn no method is foolproof.
- Civil‑rights groups and teenagers have lodged a High Court challenge, and officials note likely displacement to other apps as downloads of alternatives such as Lemon8 and yobe surge.