Over the past year, a growing number of countries have announced plans to restrict social media access for children and teens. The trend began in Australia, which became the first country to implement such measures at the end of 2025.
The Australian government set a precedent that other countries are now closely watching. The U.K. is the latest country to announce that it will impose a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age. This move follows similar proposals from several other nations, including Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.
The regulations and proposals being brought forth by governments around the world aim to reduce the pressures and risks that young users may face on social media. These include cyberbullying, addiction, mental health issues, and exposure to predators. While there are concerns about privacy regarding invasive age verification and excessive government intervention, many nations are moving ahead with proposed legislation.
Australia became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16 in December 2025. The ban blocks children from using Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. However, it does not include WhatsApp or YouTube Kids. Companies that fail to comply may face penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD ($34.4 million USD).
The Australian government has said these social media companies must take steps to keep children off their services. They must use multiple verification methods to ensure that people using their services are older than 16, and they cannot rely on users simply entering their own age.
In Austria, the government announced in late March that it will ban social media for children up to the age of 14. Draft legislation for the ban is expected to be finalized by June.
Canada introduced a digital safety bill in early June that would ban social media for children under 16. Under this legislation, social media giants could sidestep the ban if they demonstrate they have policies to protect young users. Officials have said it could take a year for the bill to pass.
Denmark is set to ban social media platforms for children under 15. The Danish government announced in November 2025 that it had secured support for the ban from three governing coalition parties and two opposition parties in parliament.
France passed a bill in late January that would ban social media for kids under 15. President Emmanuel Macron has supported the measure as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.
Germany’s conservatives discussed a proposal to bar children under 16 from using social media, Reuters reported. However, there were signs that his center-left coalition partners were hesitant to support an outright ban.
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in April that the country is going to ban access to social media for children under 15 starting January 2027.
Indonesia said in early March that it’s banning children under the age of 16 from using social media and other popular online platforms. The country plans to start with platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
Malaysia announced in November 2025 that it plans to ban social media for children under 16. The country plans to implement the ban this year.
Poland’s ruling party is drafting new legislation that would ban children under 15 from using social media, Bloomberg reported in February.
Slovenia is drafting legislation to prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, the country’s deputy prime minister announced in early February. The government wants to regulate social networks where content is shared, citing platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Spain’s prime minister announced in early February that the country plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16. The ban still needs parliamentary approval.
Turkey passed a bill in April to restrict social media access for children under 15. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan must now accept the bill for it to pass into law.
The U.K. prime minister announced on June 15 that his government will impose a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age.
While experts have questioned whether a blanket ban is effective, many governments are moving forward with these proposals in an effort to protect young users from the risks associated with social media.
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