EU DSA Minors Guidelines
EU DSA Guidelines on Protection of Minors (Article 28)
Commission guidelines under DSA Article 28(1) establishing measures for online platforms to protect minors, including age assurance, default privacy settings, anti-addictive design restrictions, recommender system safeguards, and protections against grooming and exploitation.
Jurisdiction
European Union
Enacted
Pending
Effective
Jul 14, 2025
Enforcement
European Commission and Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs)
Published July 14, 2025. Serves as benchmark for DSA Article 28(1) compliance assessment.
European CommissionWhy It Matters
Establishes the EU-wide compliance benchmark for protecting minors on online platforms, with specific provisions affecting AI chatbots, recommender systems, and addictive design patterns.
Recent Developments
Published July 14, 2025. Commission published prototype age verification app as reference standard. Guidelines serve as the benchmark against which DSA Article 28(1) compliance will be assessed.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- All online platforms accessible to minors (micro and small enterprises exempt)
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Age verification required for adult content and high-risk environments
- Private accounts by default for minors
- Disable geolocation, autoplay, streaks, read receipts, push notifications by default
- Recommender systems must prevent harmful content 'rabbit holes'
- Prioritize explicit signals from children over behavioral signals in recommendations
- Prohibit downloading/screenshotting of content posted by minors
- Restrictions on virtual currencies, loot boxes, addictive design features
- No profiling-based advertising when platform knows recipient is a minor
- Safeguards around AI chatbots integrated into platforms
- Empower children to block and mute any user
- Prevent minors being added to groups without explicit consent
Exemptions
Micro and Small Enterprise Exemption
Micro and small enterprises are exempt from these guidelines
- • Under 50 employees and EUR 10M annual turnover
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Enforcement under DSA framework (up to 6% of global annual turnover)
View on map
European Union
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
European Union. (2025). EU DSA Guidelines on Protection of Minors (Article 28).
Related Regulations
EU Kids Act (Proposed)
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Last updated March 23, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.