The European Union has announced plans for child protection rules that would require every social media account to produce state-issued identification, according to independent.ie. The proposal was reported on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Under the plan, users would have to verify their identity with government ID before holding a social media account, independent.ie reports. The measure is aimed at restricting children's access to social media platforms.
The announcement drew coverage from several outlets. RTÉ.ie examined what would change for children under the new EU law, while the BBC reported that the EU has announced a plan to restrict social media access for children. The Irish Times framed the proposal around European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, describing it as a control-shift alternative to social media age limits.
A children's charity welcomed the EU Kids Act, according to Midwest Radio.
The reported details remain limited, and the full text of the proposal has not been made available. It is not yet clear how identity checks would work in practice, what forms of state ID would be accepted, or how the requirement would apply to adult users who already hold accounts.
What to watch next: whether EU member states and lawmakers back the plan as written, and how platforms would implement ID checks if it takes effect.