Dutch gov't to ban "kidfluencers" from making commercial content

The Dutch government is moving ahead with regulating “kidfluencers”, aiming to ban children under 16 from creating commercial social media content. Minister of Work and Participation Thierry Aartsen said employing children as revenue models constitutes “child labour”, and the new rules will aim to prevent exploitation.

Minister outlines risks of children's exposure to social media work

Minister Aartsen outlined his concerns in a letter to parliament, stating that children appearing in widely-viewed online content face serious risks including loss of privacy and negative self-image development. "Especially when children are used as a revenue model by companies or parents," the minister from People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) emphasised, as reported by RTL. The Labour Inspectorate has also expressed concerns about the practice.

The minister aims to bring "commercial production of online content by and with children" under existing child labour rules. This means using children under 16 for commercial online content will become illegal, with corresponding fines for violations. While Aartsen stated he wants to mainly tackle "excesses", he acknowledged that defining where to draw the line remains under development.

Current child labour rules to include social media content

The new approach represents a stricter stance than previous government proposals. The former cabinet had suggested requiring parents of kidfluencers to apply for exemptions from the Labour Inspectorate. This new plan to classify the practice under child labour prohibition enables harder enforcement.

Under the proposed rules, children cannot make videos or vlogs with the intention of earning money, including opening packages sent by companies featuring skincare products or food from specific brands. Children also cannot appear in videos where their parents make commercial content, affecting popular family vlogging channels.

Beyond the ban itself, Aartsen wants to better inform parents about risks associated with their children's online visibility. The government is exploring agreements with advertisers regarding extra duty of care when working with minors.

When will the Dutch kidfluencer ban be imposed?

The minister also plans improved support for children experiencing negative consequences from their online roles. The government is working with organisations including Veilig Thuis to investigate how reporting and support structures can be better organised.

These measures form part of the government's broader Children's Rights Online Strategy. Concrete plans are expected in the autumn, with the law anticipated to be finalised by the end of the year. Once implemented, parents or companies who violate the rules face high fines.

The announcement affects numerous Dutch vlogging families with hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers, including De Zoete Zusjes, the Bellinga family, and the Lakap family.