Governments around the world are stepping up efforts to limit children’s access to social media amid growing concerns over mental health, online safety and data practices.
Australia: In December Australia became the first country to impose a broad ban on social media for people under 16, requiring major platforms such as TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook to block under-16s from December 10, 2025. Companies that do not comply face fines up to A$49.5 million ($34.4 million).
Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK is considering an Australia-style ban to better protect children online. No specific age threshold has been announced as the government reviews whether the current digital age of consent is too low.
China: The cyberspace regulator has rolled out a “minor mode” programme that enforces device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to limit screen time according to users’ ages.
Denmark: The government announced plans in November to ban social media for children under 15, while allowing parents to give access for some platforms to children as young as 13.
France: In January the National Assembly approved legislation to ban children under 15 from social media amid concerns about bullying and mental health. The bill must still pass the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.
Germany: Social media use by minors aged 13 to 16 is permitted only with parental consent. Child protection groups argue those measures do not go far enough.
Greece: Officials said the country is “very close” to announcing a ban on social media for children under 15, according to a senior government source.
India: The country’s chief economic adviser in January called for age restrictions on social media, criticizing platforms for predatory engagement practices. The tourist state of Goa has also said it is considering measures similar to Australia’s.
Italy: Children under 14 must have parental consent to register for social media accounts; no consent is required once users are older than 14.
Malaysia: In November Malaysia announced it will ban social media for users under 16 beginning in 2026.
Norway: The government proposed in October 2024 to raise the age at which young people can consent to social media terms to 15 (from 13), while still allowing parents to authorize access for younger teens. It is also working on legislation to set an absolute minimum age of 15 for social media use.
Slovenia: The government is drafting a law to bar children under 15 from accessing social media, according to the deputy prime minister.
Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will ban social media access for minors under 16 and require platforms to use age-verification systems. It remains unclear if the proposal will need further approval in the fragmented lower house.
United States: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) already prevents companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Several US states have passed laws requiring parental consent for minors to access social media, but those laws have faced court challenges on free-speech grounds.
European Union: In November the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media. The resolution also urged a harmonised EU digital age limit of 13 for social media access and proposed an age limit of 13 for video-sharing services and so-called AI companions.
Tech industry: Major platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat set 13 as the minimum signup age. Child-protection advocates say those self-imposed limits are insufficient, and official data from several European countries shows many children under 13 already have social media accounts.
Overall, measures vary from outright bans and mandatory age verification to parental-consent regimes and device-level restrictions, reflecting rising political pressure on platforms to better protect young users.
