27 March – Australia in December became the first country in the world to ban social media for children under 16, banning them from using platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.
The ban comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.
Here’s a summary of what countries and companies are doing to regulate access to social media.
Australia
A landmark law has forced major social media platforms to ban minors under the age of 16 from December 10, 2025, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting major tech platforms.
Companies that do not comply with the decision may face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars.
Austria
Austria will ban the use of social media for children up to the age of 14, the three-party, conservative-led government said on March 27. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and State Secretary for Digitization Alexander Breuel said draft legislation for the ban would be finalized by June.
Brazil
Brazil’s Digital Law for Children and Teens, which requires minors under 16 to link their social media accounts with a legal guardian and prohibits addictive platform features such as infinite scrolling, went into effect on March 17.
Britain
Britain is considering imposing an Australian-style social media ban and tightening safety rules for AI chatbots for under-16s as early as this year, Technology Minister Liz Kendall said in February.
Social media bans, curfews and app time limits will be tested in the homes of 300 teenagers to measure their impact on children’s sleep, family life and school work, the government said on March 24.
China
China’s Cyberspace Regulatory Commission has instituted a so-called “secondary mode” program that requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time based on age.
Denmark
Denmark said in November that it would ban social media for children under 15, while parents can provide access to certain platforms for children up to 13.
France
The French National Assembly in January approved legislation banning children under 15 from using social media amid growing concerns about cyberbullying and mental health risks. The bill needs to pass through the Senate before a final vote in the House of Representatives.
Germany
Minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are not allowed to use social media unless their parents approve. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.
Greece
A senior government source told Reuters on February 3 that Greece is “very close” to announcing a ban on social media for children under 15.
India
Karnataka, home to the technology hub of Bengaluru, on March 6 became the first Indian state to ban social media for children under 16. The neighboring states of Goa and Andhra Pradesh are also considering restrictions.
India’s chief economic adviser called for age restrictions on social media platforms in January, describing them as “predatory” in how they keep users engaged online.
Indonesia
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital said on March 6.
Communications and Digital Minister Meutia Hafeez said that from March 28, accounts owned by children under 16 on “high-risk platforms” will be gradually deactivated, adding that the platforms include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Roblox.
Italy
Children under the age of 14 require parental consent to register for social media accounts, while consent above this age is not required.
Malaysia
Malaysia said in November that it would ban social media for users under the age of 16 starting in 2026.
Norway
The Norwegian government proposed in October 2024 to raise the age at which children can agree to terms required to use social media from 13 to 15, although parents will still be allowed to sign on their behalf if they are under the age limit.
The government has also begun working on legislation to set an absolute minimum age for social media use of 15 years.
Poland
Poland’s ruling party said on February 27 that it is preparing new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 and hold platforms responsible for age verification.
Portugal
The Portuguese parliament on February 12 approved a bill requiring explicit parental consent for children aged 13 to 16 to access social media, with technology companies that ignore the restrictions facing fines of up to 2% of their global revenue.
Slovenia
Slovenia is drafting a law that would ban children under 15 from accessing social media, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon said on February 6.
Spain
Spain will ban access to social media for minors under the age of 16, and platforms will be required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in early February.
It was not clear whether the proposed ban would require approval by the country’s closely divided House of Representatives.
US
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Several states have passed laws requiring parental consent for minors to access social media, but have faced challenges in court on free speech grounds.
EU legislation
The European Parliament in November approved a resolution, which is not legally binding, calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media.
It urged an EU harmonized digital age limit of 13 for access to social media and a maximum age of 13 for video sharing services and “AI companions.”
Technology industry
Social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat, say people must be at least 13 to sign up.
Child protection advocates say controls are insufficient, and official data in several European countries shows that large numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts.
This article was generated from an automated news feed without any modifications to the text.
