Over the past several months, a number of countries have started announcing plans to restrict social media use for children and teenagers. Australia became the first to introduce such regulation at the end of 2025, setting an example other governments are now watching. Now, the French government is ready to introduce a similar bill.
The restrictions governments are introducing share some common goals. These regulations aim to reduce the negative effects social media can have on young users, including cyberbullying, addiction, poor mental health, and other related risks.
Still, there are also some concerns regarding those proposed bans, as they seem to be accompanied by invasive age verification and too much governmental intrusion. Critics have also claimed that these proposed regulations don’t account for how the younger generation actually uses social media and are largely ineffective. Nevertheless, a lot of countries are trying to introduce their bans and even have drafted some laws.
Here is a rundown of the countries that are considering, or have already moved forward with, bans on social media for children.
Australia
Australia was the first country to introduce a ban on usage of social media for children under 16. The ban went into force in December 2025 and implies that the children are banned from using Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. Importantly, the ban does not include such websites as WhatsApp or YouTube Kids.
The Australian government says social media companies should take active steps to prevent children from using their services. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to $49.5 million AUD, or about $34.4 million USD.
Officials have also said platforms need to use multiple verification methods and cannot rely solely on self-reported age data.
Austria
Austria announced in late March that it plans to ban social media use for children under 14. Legislation draft for the ban is expected to be finished by June.
Canada
The Canadian government introduced a digital safety bill in early June that would ban social media for children under 16. Under the bill, social media companies could be exempt if they can prove they already have policies in place to protect child. It was told that the bill would take up to one year to pass.
Denmark
The Danish government plans to ban social media use for children under 15. In late November 2025, the Danish government said it had secured support for the plan from three governing coalition parties and two opposition parties.
According to the Associated Press, the government’s plan may become a law within mid-2026. Denmark’s digital affairs ministry is also introducing a digital evidence app with age verification tools, which may be used to help enforce the ban.
France
France passed a law on July 21 banning access to social media for anyone under 15. The law could take effect as soon as September 1. It would also ban usage of cellphones in high schools, adding this measure to the existing ban on cellphone usage in primary and middle schools.
Germany
In early February, members of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative party discussed a proposal to bar children under 16 from using social media. However, it remains unclear whether the chancellor’s center-left coalition partners will support the idea.
Greece
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in April that Greece plans to ban access to social media for children under 15, starting in January 2027. Mitsotakis said the move is meant to address rising anxiety and sleep problems among children, as well as concerns about the addictive design of social media.
Indonesia
The Indonesian government announced in early March that it plans to ban children under 16 from using social media and other popular online platforms. The country plans to start with platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
Malaysia
The Malaysian government said in November 2025 that it plans to ban social media for children under 16, with implementation targeted for later that same year.
Poland
Poland’s ruling party has been drafting legislation that would ban social media for children under 15. The news was first reported by Bloomberg in February.
Slovenia
Slovenia is drafting legislation to prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, according to the country’s deputy prime minister. The government wants to regulate social networks where content is shared, specifically naming platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Spain
Spain’s prime minister announced in early February that the country plans to ban social media for children under 16. The ban still needs parliamentary approval before it can move forward. Spain’s government is also pursuing separate legislation that would hold social media executives personally accountable for hate speech that appears on their platforms.
Turkey
The Turkish parliament passed a bill in April restricting social media access for children under 15. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan still needs to sign the bill for it to become law.
United Kingdom
On June 15, the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the government will put a ban on children below 16 from using social media. Social media such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X will be subject to the ban.
However, messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal will be excluded from the ban. Restrictions on some types of artificial intelligence will also come into play, with “AI romantic companions” needing to ensure that they only function for individuals aged above 18.
Although some experts doubt that such a broad ban can ever be enforced successfully, Starmer acknowledges this but asserts that he still thinks that it is possible. Starmer thinks that the ban will be put in place by spring 2027.
Why This Wave Of Bans Is Happening Now
All the actions mentioned above point to a broader trend of changing mindsets on the part of governments regarding children and social media. Earlier, discussions used to center on certain aspects, such as autoplay and algorithmic feeds; however, this newer wave goes even further and blocks any kind of access to social media for minors of a specific age group. This is clearly a different approach, and it puts all the enforcement burden directly on the platform providers and does not require parents or schools to enforce anything. Moreover, this reflects increasing interest on the part of different authorities to address access to social media for minors as a public health and safety issue, rather than just something that parents decide about.
This trend means that for platforms operating in multiple nations, there will be an inconsistent patchwork of ages when access starts to be restricted, verification requirements, and enforcement periods. Australia sets the line at 16 years old. France, Greece, Slovenia, and Turkey have settled on 15 years old. Austria has 14 years old as the limit. For companies providing global services, this kind of inconsistency becomes very significant as they have to build their age verification systems in compliance with the local laws.
What To Watch Next
Several of the laws listed here are still working through legislative processes rather than sitting on the books already, so the coming months should bring more clarity on which bans actually take effect, and on what timeline. For example, the Canadian bill may take up to a year to pass. The German bill lacks coalition approval. And Turkey’s bill is still waiting on presidential sign-off.
There’s also the enforcement question. Even though age verification technology can be quite reliable, many critics say that teenagers can usually find ways to get around these regulations, despite any laws on platforms. It may become interesting to see how successful Australian ban turned out to be; now it has been in effect for the longest time. Lawmakers elsewhere are likely to watch closely for signs of how well Australia’s verification requirements actually hold up once determined users start looking for gaps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Which country was the first to ban social media for children?
Australia was the first, implementing a ban on social media for children under 16 starting in December 2025.
Q2: What platforms does Australia’s ban cover?
The ban applies to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. It does not include WhatsApp or YouTube Kids.
Q3: What happens if a company doesn’t comply with Australia’s ban?
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD, or about $34.4 million USD.
Q4: What age did France set for its social media ban?
France’s law, passed on July 21, bans access to social media for anyone under 15, with the law potentially taking effect as soon as September 1.
Q5: Is the UK’s under-16 social media ban in effect yet?
Not yet. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the plan on June 15, and it could take effect by spring 2027, according to his own timeline.
Q6: Which messaging apps are typically excluded from these bans?
WhatsApp is excluded from several of these bans, including those in Australia and the UK. Signal is also excluded from the UK’s proposed ban.
Q7: What concerns have critics raised about these bans?
Groups like Amnesty Tech have argued the bans are ineffective and don’t account for how younger generations actually use social media, while others have raised concerns about invasive age verification methods.
Q8: What age thresholds are other countries considering?
Thresholds vary by country. Austria has proposed 14, several countries including France, Greece, Slovenia, and Turkey have proposed 15, and others including Australia, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, and Spain have proposed 16.
Q9: How are governments planning to verify users’ ages?
Approaches vary, but several governments, including Australia and Denmark, have said platforms cannot rely on self-reported ages and must use additional verification methods.
Q10: Are any of these bans specifically targeting AI chatbots?
Yes. The UK’s plan includes restrictions on AI “romantic companion” chatbots, requiring that they only be usable by people over 18.
