More than 20 countries move to restrict children's access to social media

More than 20 countries have introduced or proposed restrictions on children's access to social media, with measures already in force in five countries, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally.

The moves come as the European Union considers regulating children's access to social media. Most of the measures have been introduced recently and target children under the age of 15 or 16.

An expert committee is due to submit recommendations to the European Commission on Monday on a possible social media ban for children across the EU's 27 member states.

Restrictions in place

Australia has banned social media use by children under 16 since December 2025. Brazil introduced a law in March requiring platforms to link accounts belonging to users under 16 to their parents' accounts and verify users' ages.

In China, where the state tightly regulates internet access, restrictions on minors' use of online platforms have been introduced progressively since 2019. Initial measures imposed time limits and curfews on online gaming, before similar restrictions were extended to social media and streaming platforms in 2023.

Indonesia has banned social media use by children under 16 since March. Malaysia has also introduced similar restrictions, with legislation taking effect in June to exclude under-16s from major platforms.

Turkey is expected to join the list after passing legislation in April to bar children under 15 from social media. The law is expected to take effect in late 2026.

The United Arab Emirates announced a ban on social media use by children under 15 last month, with implementation expected in about a year.

Restrictions announced

Within the EU, Greece announced in early April that it intends to ban social media access for children under 15 from January 1, 2027. Austria and Slovenia are preparing legislation to prohibit access for children under 14 and under 15, respectively.

In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports restricting or even banning social media use by children. An expert commission has proposed two options: restrictions based on age groups or rules tailored to specific platforms.

A similar debate is under way in Sweden, where a government commission has proposed banning social media use by children under 15 by early 2028. Ireland has warned that it is considering legislation if the EU fails to reach a decision.

In October 2025, Denmark announced plans to propose a ban on “several social media platforms” for children under 15. Outside the EU, Norway's government plans to present a bill by the end of the year to prohibit access for children under 16.

The United Kingdom is looking to ban social media use by children under 16 by early 2027, while Canada also wants to set the minimum age for social media use at 16. Several states in India are considering restrictions on children's access to social media. The Indian government has said it is holding discussions with platforms about possible measures.

Restrictions under consideration

In France, a proposal to ban social media use by children under 15 is making its way through parliament.

The National Assembly approved the bill at its first reading in January, but the Senate later amended it to target only the most harmful platforms, prompting concern in Brussels. A final version of the legislation is expected in the coming weeks, with the government hoping it will take effect in September.

Portugal is considering a bill that would set the minimum age for independent access to platforms, services, games and applications at 16.

Spain has proposed raising the minimum age for registering on social media platforms from 14 to 16. In Italy, parliament is considering legislation that would ban social media use by children under 15.