EU Kids Act
Source

COM(2026) 681/3 · 2026/0286 (COD)

Proposal · Sensitive until adoption

Text from the supplied proposal. Original wording, numbering and placeholders are preserved. Struck-through text retains its deletion marks.

Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL EU KIDS ACT - 'EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy'

COM(2026) 681/3 · Proposal

Read Article 17 in the full document

Article 17 Codes of Conduct on age rating and online games

1.

The Commission shall encourage and facilitate the drawing up of codes of conduct at Union level by [same day and month as the date of entry into application plus one year] with the involvement of providers of software application stores and online games, developers and providers of digital content, including software applications and online games, providers of age classification systems, organisations representing minors and their guardians, civil society organisations specialising in the protection of minors online as well as relevant authorities. The codes of conduct shall contribute to the harmonised establishing and application of age-rating systems including those referred to in Article 16(1), in particular by setting out common criteria and methodologies for such systems, and to the effective application of Article 15 with regard to online games.

2.

The Commission shall aim to ensure that the codes of conduct address at least the following:

(a)

pursue the clearly defined and unambiguous objective to enable and facilitate the mutual recognition and consistent application of age ratings by providers of software application stores and online games across Member States;

(l)

define appropriate criteria, methodologies and sources of information for assessing the age-appropriateness of content in particular as regards violent, sexual, gambling and self-harm content as well as in-app purchases, contact risks and addictive design features;

(m)

establish free of charge remedies and redress mechanisms for content providers, including app developers to resolve disputes related to the age-rating of content provided by a body that is impartial and independent, including financially independent, of providers and recipients of the service;

(n)

provide harmonised, easily recognisable and understandable age-rating labels and textual descriptors to be displayed prominently and prior to accessing or purchasing content;

(o)

provide for regular, transparent and independent monitoring and evaluation of the achievement of the objectives, including by containing key performance indicators to measure the achievement of their objectives and regular updates to reflect technological developments and emerging risks to minors;

(p)

with regard to online games, define appropriate measures and methodologies to give effect to the obligations laid down in Article 15(1), (2), (3) and (4), building, where appropriate, on existing pan-European age classification frameworks, including their criteria concerning interactive functionalities and monetisation practices, and providing for their regular update in light of scientific and technological developments and emerging risks to minors

3.

By [same day as date of entry into force plus 42 months] the Commission shall assess whether the codes of conduct meet the aims specified in paragraph 2 and and are adequate to demonstrate compliance with the respective obligations. The Commission shall regularly monitor and evaluate the achievement of their objectives, having regard to the key performance indicators that they might contain and shall publish its assessment. Where the Commission assesses adherence to point (f) of paragraph 2, Article 15(4) shall apply.