---
title: "Protect minors on platforms they can reach · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/protect-minors
updated: 2026-10-21
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Protect minors on platforms they can reach

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Online platforms](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers). Updated 2026-10-21.

- ID: CMP-70
- Level: Recommended
- Chapter: [Online platforms](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms)
- Rule: If minors can reach your online platform and you are not a micro or small enterprise, make their accounts private by default. Switch off streaks, autoplay and push notifications for them by default.
- Applies when: The project has users in the EU.
- How: Article 28(1) of the Digital Services Act asks for a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors. The Commission's guidelines of 14 July 2025 are the benchmark for that duty. A minimum age in your terms does not by itself put you out of scope. Use age verification for adult content, such as gambling or pornography. Use age estimation where your terms set a minimum age because of risks you found. Article 28(2) bans ads based on profiling for users you know are minors. Article 28(3) says you need not collect more personal data just to learn a user's age. Tune recommender systems to cut exposure to harmful content, and give minors control of their feed. Record the decision with your [Digital Services Act tier](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/dsa-tier). Give stored age signals a period in the [retention schedule](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/records-and-data-map/retention-schedule).
- Check: An end-to-end test signs up a user marked as under 18. The new profile is private, and streaks, autoplay and push notifications are off. The ad request for that user carries no profiling segments.

## Examples

**Using these examples:** they show one way to follow this rule. Keep the behaviour and the check, not the syntax. Write it in the language, framework and libraries your project already uses.

### JavaScript example

```js
const ADULT_AGE = 18;
const MINOR_DEFAULTS = { profileVisibility: 'private', streaks: false, autoplay: false, pushNotifications: false, profiledAds: false };

export const defaultSettings = (ageBand, adultDefaults) =>
  ageBand.maxAge < ADULT_AGE ? { ...adultDefaults, ...MINOR_DEFAULTS } : adultDefaults;
```

### Python example

```python
ADULT_AGE = 18
MINOR_DEFAULTS = {"profile_visibility": "private", "streaks": False, "autoplay": False,
                  "push_notifications": False, "profiled_ads": False}

def default_settings(age_band: dict, adult_defaults: dict) -> dict:
    if age_band["max_age"] < ADULT_AGE:
        return {**adult_defaults, **MINOR_DEFAULTS}
    return adult_defaults
```

## Sources

- [Commission guidelines on the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-publishes-guidelines-protection-minors)
- [Digital Services Act Article 28](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj)

## Related rules

- [Handle appeals and send decisions to the EU database](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/platform-complaints) in Compliance
- [Decide which Digital Services Act tier you are in](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/dsa-tier) in Compliance
- [Keep one retention schedule](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/records-and-data-map/retention-schedule) in Compliance

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/protect-minors">Agent Wranglers compliance playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Check traders before they sell on your marketplace](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms/trader-traceability)
- [Online platforms](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/compliance/online-platforms)