Growing list of countries move to ban social media for children

A global movement to restrict or ban social media access for minors is gaining momentum, with more than 20 countries now implementing or proposing age-based regulations. These measures primarily target children under the ages of 15 or 16, citing concerns over safety and digital well-being. For the social media sector, this trend represents a significant shift toward mandatory age verification and parental oversight, potentially reshaping user demographics and platform compliance requirements worldwide.

The regulatory landscape for social media is shifting rapidly as more than 20 countries implement or propose strict age-based access controls. Australia has set a ban for children under 16 starting in December 2025, while Brazil introduced laws in March requiring platforms to verify user ages and link accounts for those under 16 to their parents. In Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia have moved to exclude children under 16 from major platforms, and China has progressively tightened restrictions since 2019, extending gaming curfews to include social media and streaming services. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are also joining the trend, with bans for children under 15 set to take effect over the next two years.

Within the European Union, a coordinated approach is being evaluated as an expert committee prepares to submit recommendations to the European Commission regarding a potential 27-nation ban. Individual member states are already moving forward; Greece plans to ban access for those under 15 by 2027, and France is finalizing legislation for a similar age limit that could take effect this September. Other European nations, including Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom, are either proposing or preparing bills that would set the minimum age for social media use between 14 and 16 years old by 2027 or 2028. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has voiced support for these restrictions, while an expert commission has suggested either age-graded bans or platform-specific rules.

These legislative efforts vary in scope, with some countries targeting specific platforms while others seek broad bans. For instance, Denmark announced in October 2025 that it would propose banning "several social media platforms" for children under 15, and the French Senate has suggested targeting only the "most harmful" services, a move that has raised concerns in Brussels. Beyond Europe, Canada and several Indian states are also exploring minimum age requirements or platform-specific restrictions. This global wave of regulation forces social media companies to navigate a complex patchwork of international laws, necessitating advanced age-verification technologies and deeper integration with parental controls to remain compliant. Spain and Portugal are also considering raising their minimum age requirements to 16, further narrowing the available audience for platforms in the Mediterranean region.