Ever since Australia banned its young people from social media, governments across the globe have been considering following suit.
It comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.
It’s been four months since under-16s in Australia were banned from utilizing platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. While only one other countest has since implemented a straight blanket ban, many have taken steps to regulate online platforms.
Here is a summary of which countries already have rules in place for social media, as well as those proposing a stricter ban.
Australia
Australia’s landmark law came into force on 10 December 2025. It forced 10 major social media platforms to block young people under 16 or face fines of up to AU$49.5m (£25m).
Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant declared the restrictions “aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that utilizers can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts”.
She added: “These come from design features that encourage them to spconclude more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”
Facebook and Instagram alerts are displayed on a child’s mobile phone in Australia. Pic: Reuters
Europe
France
At the launchning of the year France’s National Assembly (the lower houtilize) approved legislation to ban children under the age of 15 from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
On 31 March the bill was then passed by the Senate (the upper houtilize) building France the first European countest to follow Australia. It would be a step further to legislation that has been in place since 2018 that bans children from utilizing mobile phones in French colleges, which are attconcludeed by young people aged 11-15.
Teenagers react to France’s proposed social media ban
The parliamentary process however is far from complete. The French bill is due to go back to the Assembly for a final vote but a disagreement between the upper and lower houtilize remains.
The government is advocating a broad ban while the Senate wants to build it conditional on the publication of a list of platforms deemed dangerous for children.
There is also no timeframe for when the ban could actually come into force.
Britain
A social media ban for under-16s has been backed by the Houtilize of Lords in the UK.
Peers passed an amconcludement to the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – a wide-ranging set of law proposals currently building its way through parliament.
At the launchning of March the government launched a consultation questioning the British public how they want to protect young people online.
How much screen time should kids have?
In addition to blocking younger teenagers from apps like TikTok and Instagram, measures including overnight social media curfews, restrictions to “addictive” features like infinite scrolling and autoplay, and blocks to stop children from utilizing chatbots are also being considered.
Some of these elements will be tested in a trial period, the government announced on 25 March. This will involve 300 teenagers and aim to gauge the impact on children’s sleep, family life and schoolwork.
Would a UK social media ban work?
Austria
Austria’s three-party government announced on 27 March it will ban social media for children up to the age of 14.
Vice chancellor Andreas Babler and junior digitisation minister Alexander Proell declared draft legislation for the law would be finalised by June.
Mr Proell declared “technically modern methods” of age verification will be utilized that allow utilizers to verify their age while respecting their privacy.
The Austrian government plans to accompany the ban with an effort to boost schools’ teaching of how to utilize media and deal with artificial ininformigence.
However, before the law is even implemented, it will necessary parliamentary approval.
Is social media messing up kids?
Spain
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, pledged in February that he would introduce an under-16 social media ban.
Mr Sanchez called social media the digital “Wild West”, and the under-16s ban is part of a raft of measures aimed at building children safer online.
The government has also questioned prosecutors to investigate potential crimes committed by Meta, X and TikTok in connection with the possible creation and dissemination of child porn utilizing AI.
It is unclear if the proposed ban would require approval by Spain’s highly fragmented lower houtilize.
Denmark
Denmark declared in October 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.
Announcing the legislation, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accutilized mobile phones and social networks of “stealing our children’s childhood”.
She did not specify which social networks would be affected by the new measures.
Norway
The Norwegian government has launched a public consulation to question for opinion on its proposal for a law that ban social media for under 15s.
It declared services such as video games and platforms utilized for communication related to school or extracurricular activities will be an exception to the proposed law.
What about other European countries?
In Germany young people aged 13-16 are allowed to utilize social media only if their parents provide consent.
Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source notified Reuters in February.
Children under the age of 14 necessary parental consent to sign up for social media accounts in Italy, while no consent is required above that age.
Poland’s ruling party declared on 27 February it is preparing new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 and to hold platforms responsible for age verification.
Portugal’s parliament approved a bill on 12 February requiring explicit parental consent for children aged 13 to 16 to access social media, with tech companies that ignore the restrictions facing fines of up to 2% of their global revenue.
Slovenia is drafting a law that would prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, deputy prime minister Matej Arcon announced on 6 February.
Asia
Indonesia
On 28 March the government launched to roll out a new regulation that bans children younger than 16 from accessing digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction.
The countest’s communications minister, Meutya Hafid, declared “high-risk platforms” include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
Indonesia became the first countest in southeast Asia to implement such a ban, with it affecting an estimated 70 million children.
Few platforms reacted to Indonesia’s new regulation.
The Indonesia online safety page for Elon Musk’s X states the minimum age to utilize the platform is 16 adding: “It’s not our choice – it’s what Indonesian law requires.”
While Google-owned YouTube declared it supports the Indonesian government’s effort to create an effective, risk-based framework that addresses online harms while preserving access to information and digital opportunity.
Indonesia bans social media for under 16s
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 depconcludeing on age.
India
On 6 March the Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, became the first state in the countest to pass legislation banning social media for children under 16. It is unknown when the ban will take effect.
Neighbouring states of Goa and Andhra Pradesh are also weighing restrictions.
India’s chief economic adviser has previously called for age restrictions on social media platforms, describing them as “predatory” in how they keep utilizers engaged online.
Malaysia
Malaysia declared in November it would ban social media for utilizers under the age of 16 starting from this year.
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil previously declared young people under 16 would not be allowed to open their own social media accounts, although parent-managed accounts would be allowed to reduce risks, such as contact from strangers, according to local newspaper Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The ban is expected to be introduced as early as July, FMT reported.
The Americas
The US
In 2023 Utah became the first US state to require social media firms to obtain parental consent for children to utilize their apps and verify utilizers are at least 18.
Several other states have since passed similar legislation, with all having faced court challenges on free speech grounds.
The countest’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act also prevents companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent.
Read more:
A social media ban isn’t cut-and-dried case
Is Australia’s social media ban working?
Brazil
On 17 March, Brazil’s Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents came into effect.
This requires young people under 16 to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian and bans addictive platform features such as infinite scrolling.
The law applies to any digital product that is likely to be accessed by anyone under the age of 18, including social media, games and apps.
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