Over 20 countries have implemented or proposed age restrictions on social media use for children and teenagers, targeting those aged 15 or 16 and younger [1, 2, 3, 4]. Five countries including Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey have already enacted such restrictions for minors [1, 2, 3, 4].
Australia banned social media use for those under 16 starting December 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Brazil passed a law in March 2026 requiring platforms to verify users’ ages and link accounts of those under 16 to a parent’s account [1, 2, 3, 4]. Indonesia also banned social media for under-16s in March 2026, and Malaysia followed with a similar ban in June 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Turkey passed legislation in April 2026 banning social media use for children under 15, with the law set to take effect by the end of 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
China has progressively tightened its rules since 2019, starting with online gaming curfews for minors, and extending restrictions to social media and streaming platforms in 2023 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Several other countries are preparing or considering similar measures. Greece plans to ban social media for under-15s from January 1, 2027 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The UK aims for a full ban on use by those under 16 beginning early 2027 [1, 2, 4]. Sweden’s government commission has proposed a ban for under-15s by early 2028 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Norway intends to propose a ban on social media for under-16s by the end of 2026 [1, 2, 4]. Austria and Slovenia are preparing legislation to ban social media use for children under 14 and 15, respectively [1, 2, 3, 4].
France’s parliament is debating a ban on social media use by children under 15. The National Assembly approved a bill in January 2026, but the Senate limited it to high-risk platforms. The French government aims to implement restrictions in September 2026 [1, 2, 4]. Ireland is considering measures if the EU does not adopt a decisive approach [1, 2, 3, 4]. Denmark proposed in October 2025 to ban social media for those under 15 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports restrictions or outright bans, saying experts recommend “age-graded bans” or platform-specific limits for children’s social media use [1].
Canada aims to set the minimum social media age at 16, and India’s states are discussing restrictions while the federal government consults platforms [1, 2, 4]. Portugal and Spain are proposing to raise minimum registration ages on social media to 16 [1, 2, 4]. Italy’s parliament is reviewing a ban for those under 15 [1, 2, 4].
The EU expert committee is scheduled to submit recommendations by July 13, 2026, on banning social media use by children across the 27 member states [1, 2, 4].
These measures reflect an accelerating global policy push to restrict social media access for minors, with many new laws coming into force or planned through 2027 and 2028.
