British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for all under-16s, saying it was needed to protect the wellbeing of children. UK proceeded with restrictions after speaking to bereaved parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under-16s last December. Worries over the impact of social media on mental health and online safety prompted Britain to hold a consultation on children’s access to social media earlier this year, with curfews, time limits and curbs on addictive design features, all under consideration.
“The prime minister is not afraid about taking on the tech companies and their bosses to protect young people,” the Downing Street Spokesperson told Reuters earlier before the ban was announced.
France, Denmark and Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced it would ban access to those under the age of 15 from January 2027. Britain’s online safety law already requires social media companies to take measures to protect children from illegal and harmful online content.
Here is what countries across the world are doing to deal with social media access for the children:
CHINA
China’s cyberspace regulator has put in place a so-called “minor mode” programme that requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age.
DENMARK
Denmark said in November it would ban social media for children under 15, while parents could provide access to certain platforms to kids down to the age of 13.
FRANCE
France’s National Assembly in January approved legislation to ban children under 15 from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks. The bill needs to pass through the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.
GERMANY
Minors aged 13 to 16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. Child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.
GREECE
Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source told Reuters on February 3.
INDIA
India’s chief economic adviser called for age restrictions on social media platforms in January, describing them as “predatory” in how they keep users engaged online, two days after tourist state Goa said it was weighing restrictions akin to Australia’s.
ITALY
Children under 14 need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, while no consent is required above that age.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia has begun barring those under 16 from registering accounts on social media platforms, its communications regulator said on June 1.
NORWAY
The Norwegian government in 2024 proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 from 13, although parents would still be permitted to sign off on their behalf if they are under the age limit.
The government has also begun work on legislation to set an absolute minimum age limit of 15 for social media use.
POLAND
Poland’s ruling party is preparing new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 and to hold platforms responsible for age verification, it said on February 27.
SLOVENIA
Slovenia is drafting a law that would prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon said on February 6.
SPAIN
Spain will push ahead with new rules to make social networks and AI safer despite intense lobbying from the tech industry, Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez told Reuters in May.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had said in February that Spain would ban access to social media for minors under 16, with platforms required to implement age verification systems.
SWEDEN
Sweden should introduce a minimum age of 15 for the use of social media, a government-appointed commission recommended on June 2.
A ban can be formulated in a way that the platforms would be responsible for age verification, investigator Lisa Englund Krafft told a news conference with Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed.
TURKEY
Turkey’s parliament on April 24 passed legislation banning the use of social media by children under 15 and introducing new rules for digital platforms, including game software companies.
UNITED STATES
U.S. legislation aimed at forcing social media companies to do more to protect children and teenagers cleared a key political hurdle after Republican Senator Ted Cruz said on May 12 he would support the bill.
Cruz said at an event in Washington that he would back the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require social media companies to “exercise reasonable care” in designing features that contribute to harm to minors, according to the bill.
The legislation is separate from the long-standing Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which prevents companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Several states have passed laws requiring parental consent for minors to access social media, but they have faced court challenges on free speech grounds.
EU LEGISLATION
On May 12, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would seek stronger protections for children from harmful social media features.
Von der Leyen said the Commission would target “addictive and harmful design practices” in its Digital Fairness Act, a planned law due to be proposed later this year, while an expert panel prepares advice on how to proceed.
The European Parliament in November agreed on a resolution calling for an EU-wide ban on access for children under 16 to online platforms, video-sharing sites and AI companions without parental consent and an outright ban for those younger than 13.
More to follow
(With inputs from Reuters)
Also Read: Canada Introduces Bill To Ban Social Media For Children Under 16 And Regulate AI Chatbots
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
