Theodoros Zarkos, MSc, Medical Ethicist - Social Scientist - European Social Policy and Social Rights; Independent Researcher, Kiato, Greece Photo credit: maido155, via Wikimedia Commons The European Commission’s proposal for an EU KIDS Act, published on 17 September 2026, contains a provision that is easy to misread if it is viewed in isolation. Article 14 would create specific duties for AI companions and general conversational chatbots accessible to minors. Yet the proposal does not begin from an empty legal field. Online platforms, AI systems and the processing of children’s personal data are already governed by overlapping EU rules. The legal...