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A new regulatory trend is gaining momentum in the world: more and more countries are considering or have already implemented restrictions on the use of social media by children and teenagers. Australia was the first country to put such an initiative into practice. At the end of 2025, it passed a law prohibiting the use of social media by people under the age of 16.
The main goal of such initiatives is to reduce risks for young users. These include cyberbullying, addiction to digital services, mental health issues, and possible contact with online predators. At the same time, critics of such decisions warn of privacy risks due to age verification procedures and possible excessive state intervention.
In particular, human rights advocates from Amnesty International (its technology arm Amnesty Tech) believe that complete bans are unlikely to be effective and do not take into account the reality of the digital life of the younger generation. Nevertheless, many countries continue to promote relevant bills.
In Australia, the ban for children under 16 applies to a number of popular platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. At the same time, it does not apply to WhatsApp messenger and YouTube Kids. Social networks are obliged to implement mechanisms for verifying the age of users on their own. If companies fail to comply with these requirements, they face fines of up to $34.4 million.
Similar restrictions are being considered in other countries. For example, Denmark is preparing a bill to ban social media for children under 15. It is expected to come into force in mid-2026. At the same time, the government is working on an app to check the age of users. In France, the parliament has already supported a bill that restricts access to social media for people under 15. The initiative was supported by President Emmanuel Macron, who calls it a way to protect children from excessive screen time. However, the document still needs to be approved by the Senate.
Germany is also discussing similar steps. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has considered the idea of restricting access to social media for users under 16, although there is no consensus within the coalition on a complete ban. Other countries are also moving in this direction. In Greece, the authorities are preparing restrictions for children under 15. Indonesia plans to ban the use of social media and popular online platforms for people under 16. The list of services may include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, as well as streaming and gaming platforms such as Bigo Live and Roblox.
In Malaysia, the government has also announced its intention to introduce a ban for users under 16 as early as 2026. Slovenia is preparing a law that will restrict access to social media for children under 15, and in Spain, the Prime Minister announced plans to set the minimum age at 16. They are also discussing new rules that could make social media executives personally liable for spreading hate speech on their platforms. In the UK, the issue is still at the consultation stage. The authorities plan to survey parents, youth, and NGOs to assess the effectiveness of possible restrictions. In addition, the government is considering the idea of requiring social media to change the mechanisms that encourage user addiction, such as an endless news feed.
Thus, the global debate on child safety in the digital environment is gradually moving from discussions to concrete legislative steps. However, the question of the balance between youth protection, Internet freedom, and user privacy remains open.
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