Australia led the way in December 2025. Now governments across Europe, Asia, and beyond are following with their own restrictions.
Australia was the first country to ban children from social media, barring under-16s from platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat in December 2025. Companies that fail to enforce the rules face fines of up to $49.5 million AUD. Platforms must use multiple methods to verify users are over 16 and cannot accept self-reported ages.
More than a dozen countries are now drafting, debating, or passing similar laws.
In Europe, France passed a bill in January 2026 banning social media for under-15s, though it still requires final approval from the Senate. Austria announced in late March that it would ban the platforms for children under 14, with draft legislation due to be finalised by June. Denmark has cross-party parliamentary support for a ban covering under-15s, which could become law by mid-2026.
Greece’s prime minister announced in April that a ban on social media for under-15s would take effect from January 2027, citing rising anxiety and sleep problems among young people. Spain’s prime minister announced a similar ban for under-16s in early February, subject to parliamentary approval. Slovenia, Poland, and Germany are all at various stages of drafting or debating equivalent laws.
Outside Europe, Indonesia said in early March it would ban children under 16 from social media and other popular online platforms. Malaysia plans to bring in a similar ban for under-16s this year. Turkey’s parliament passed a bill in April restricting under-15s from social media, pending presidential approval.
The United Kingdom is consulting parents, young people, and civil society on whether to introduce a ban for under-16s. It is also considering whether to require platforms to remove features designed to encourage compulsive use, such as infinite scrolling.
Amnesty has said such bans are ineffective and fail to address the real risks young people face online. The group has also raised concerns about privacy implications of age verification systems. Despite that opposition, the pace of legislation across multiple continents has not slowed.
Sources : BBC
