The vote in Strasbourg passed by a wide margin: 483 in favour, 92 against and 86 abstentions.
Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 15 would still be able to use social platforms, but only with explicit permission from parents or legal guardians.
MEPs are pushing the European Commission to create a single EU-wide digital age-verification app for social networks, as well as a European digital identity wallet to enforce the rules consistently across all 27 member states, with the aim of protecting minors from illegal and harmful content as well as sexual predator networks.
The report also suggests that top executives at major tech platforms could be held personally accountable if they fail to comply with child-protection and age-verification requirements.
The EU Parliament is also demanding a ban on addictive design practices, including the endless “infinite scroll” that keeps users glued to their screens. MEPs also want stricter control of targeted advertising aimed at minors and tighter rules for digital influencers, whose content often drives young users to stay online longer.
