Dutch government targets child influencers in crackdown on social media exploitation
By jacobthomas // 2026-06-16
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  • The Dutch government plans to criminalize children acting as social media influencers, treating it as child labor under existing laws proposed by Minister Aartsen.
  • The ban targets commercial content created by minors under 16 for revenue from sponsorship, advertising, or brand partnerships.
  • Parents who use children for such revenue would face substantial fines under the proposed legislation.
  • The Dutch crackdown is part of a global effort to regulate Big Tech, with multiple European countries considering similar bans and von der Leyen stating the discussion on a minimum age for social media can no longer be ignored.
  • Experts warn that children earning money on social media lack legal protections compared to child actors, while the Danish government has proposed mandatory age verification with fines of up to 6% of global revenue.
In a landmark move that could reshape the digital landscape for minors, the Dutch government has announced plans to criminalize the use of children as social media influencers, treating the practice as a form of child labor. The proposal, outlined in a letter to the Dutch parliament, represents one of Europe's most aggressive stances yet on protecting minors from commercial exploitation online. Employment Minister Thierry Aartsen has called for bringing child influencers under existing child labor laws, which would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to create commercial content for social media platforms. The ban would target content where children generate revenue through sponsorship, advertising and brand partnerships, including videos of family adventures, unboxing toys and playing computer games. "Children being used in such commercial content was effectively child labor and needed to be treated as such, ministers told parliament in a preliminary step toward legislation. Children were at risk of losing their privacy or developing a negative self-image if "used as a revenue model by companies or parents," Aartsen wrote in the letter. Parents who use their children to generate such revenue would face substantial fines under the proposed legislation. Work is now underway on the specific details of the ban, which goes significantly further than the government's previous position, which allowed child social media stars to apply for exemptions from labor laws.

A global movement gains momentum

The Dutch crackdown is part of a broader international effort to regulate Big Tech and protect youth mental health, with governments across Europe and beyond wrestling with how to handle the influence of predominantly U.S.-based social media firms. Sir Keir Starmer is poised to ban under-16s from social media in the UK but has been warned against it by the White House. President Donald Trump's bullish defense of American companies, ostensibly on freedom of speech grounds and fears he could impose retaliatory trade tariffs complicate matters for European governments. France, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Greece are considering their own versions of a ban pioneered by Australia last December. The Dutch government backs a social media ban for the under-16s but wants it to be EU-wide, rather than just at home. In May, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, stated: "The discussion about a minimum age for social media can no longer be ignored." She has not ruled out a ban and European legislation could be proposed this summer.

Legal protections lag behind

Experts have warned that children earning money on social media currently enjoy far fewer protections than child actors or models working in traditional entertainment. Those in conventional media are protected by safeguards governing their hours, pay and who they must be accompanied by during work. Last year, Chi Onwurah, the Labor chairman of the Commons science, technology and innovation committee, warned that British laws were already obsolete when it came to protecting child stars. The Danish government has meanwhile proposed mandatory age verification using its national electronic ID system, with potential fines of up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliance under the EU's Digital Services Act. The Danish proposal arrives amid international concern regarding the impact of social media on youth mental health. With 94% of Danish children under 13 already using at least one platform, according to Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage, the government argues that "voluntary measures and corporate self-regulation have catastrophically failed." As noted by BrightU.AI's Enoch, the EU and U.S. have clashed regularly about Brussels' oversight of American tech companies, particularly about the Digital Services Act that enables it to fine big firms 6% of their global turnover. The Dutch proposal represents a major shift, asserting that protecting children online is a state and corporate responsibility, not just a parental one. As European governments press forward with regulation, the battle lines are being drawn between child safety advocates demanding action and free speech proponents warning against government overreach. The coming months could determine whether the continent's tough talk translates into enforceable legislation and whether children's digital futures are fundamentally reshaped. Watch this video discussing the dangers of social media. This video is from the Follower of Christ777 channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Telegraph.co.uk Brighteon.com BrightU.ai
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