From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children’s social media access

– Australia in December became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

Below is a summary of what countries and companies are doing to regulate access to social media amid mounting concerns over its impact on children’s health and safety.

A landmark law forced major social media platforms to block minors under 16 from Dec 10, 2025, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting major tech platforms.

Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million (S$44.8 million).

Britain plans to approve a ban on social media for under-16s by Christmas, with the measure set to take effect around Spring 2027, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on June 15.

Big tech firms operating in Britain must stop children circulating nude images on their phones or they will face legislation forcing them to do so, Starmer said on June 8.

Under the new plans, firms like Apple and Google would have to build or activate technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children. Adults would still be able to take, share or view nude content through an age-verification process.

China’s cyberspace regulator has put in place a so-called “minor mode” programme that requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age.

Denmark said in November it would ban social media for children under 15, while parents could provide access to certain platforms to kids down to the age of 13.

France’s National Assembly in January approved legislation to ban children under 15 from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental-health risks. The Bill is going through Parliament ahead of becoming law.

Minors aged 13 to 16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. Child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.

Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source told Reuters on Feb 3.

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, two days after tourist state Goa said it was weighing restrictions akin to Australia’s.

Children under 14 need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, while no consent is required above that age.

Malaysia has begun barring those under 16 from registering accounts on social media platforms, its communications regulator said on June 1.

The Norwegian government in 2024 proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 from 13, although parents would still be permitted to sign off on their behalf if they are under the age limit.

The government has also begun work on legislation to set an absolute minimum age limit of 15 for social media use.

Poland’s ruling party is preparing legislation to ban social media for children under 15 and to hold platforms responsible for age verification, it said on Feb 27.

Slovenia is drafting a law that would prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon said on Feb 6.

Spain will push ahead with new rules to make social networks and AI safer despite intense lobbying from the tech industry, Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez told Reuters in May.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had said in February that Spain would ban access to social media for minors under 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems.

Sweden should introduce a minimum age of 15 for the use of social media, a government-appointed commission recommended on June 2.

A ban can be formulated in a way that the platforms would be responsible for age verification, investigator Lisa Englund Krafft told a news conference with Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed.

Turkey’s Parliament on April 24 passed legislation banning the use of social media by children under 15 and introducing new rules for digital platforms, including game software companies.

The United Arab Emirates on June 18 approved a resolution setting the minimum age for social media use at 15, the government’s media office said, making it the first Arab country to introduce such a measure.

The resolution prohibits children under 15 from creating or using personal social media accounts and restricts their access to the platforms’ full features.

US legislation aimed at forcing social media companies to do more to protect children and teenagers cleared a key political hurdle after Republican Senator Ted Cruz said on May 12 that he would support the Bill.

Cruz said at an event in Washington that he would back the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require social media companies to “exercise reasonable care” in designing features that contribute to harm to minors, according to the Bill.

The legislation is separate from the longstanding Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which prevents 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 they have faced court challenges on free speech grounds.

On May 12, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would seek stronger protections for children from harmful social media features.

Von der Leyen said the commission would target “addictive and harmful design practices” in its Digital Fairness Act, a planned law due to be proposed later in 2026, while an expert panel prepares advice on how to proceed.

The European Parliament in November agreed on a resolution calling for an EU-wide ban on access for children under 16 to online platforms, video-sharing sites and AI companions without parental consent and an outright ban for those younger than 13.

Social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat, say people need to be at least 13 to sign up.

Child protection advocates say the controls are insufficient, and official data in several European countries shows huge numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts. REUTERS