Australia on Wednesday will become the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
The ban is being closely watched by other countries considering similar age-based measures as concerns mount over the effects of social media on children’s health and safety.
Below is a summary of what other countries and tech companies are doing to regulate access to social media.
- Australia: A landmark law passed in November 2024 forces major social media platforms to block minors younger than 16 starting on Wednesday, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting major tech platforms. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5-million (R560-million).
- UK: The Online Safety Act sets tougher standards for social media platforms, including age restrictions to block minors from accessing harmful content. The law was passed in 2023 and enforcement began this year. No age limit for accessing social media has been set.
- 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 allowing parents to give exemptions for youngsters down to the age of 13 to access certain platforms. A majority of parties in the parliament said they would back the plan ahead of a formal vote.
- France: In 2023, France passed a law requiring social platforms to get parental consent for minors under 15 to create accounts. But according to local media, technical challenges have impeded its enforcement.
- Germany: Minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.
- Italy: In Italy, children under the age of 14 need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, while no consent is required from that age upwards.
- Malaysia: Malaysia said in November it would ban social media for users under the age of 16 starting next year.
- Norway: The Norwegian government in October 2024 proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 years 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.
- US: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prevents companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Several states have also passed laws requiring parental consent for minors to access social media, but they have faced court challenges on free speech grounds.
- EU: The European parliament in November agreed on a resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media to ensure “age-appropriate online engagement”. It also urged a harmonised EU digital age limit of 13 for social media access and an age limit of 13 for video-sharing services and “AI companions”. The resolution is not legally binding.
Insufficient
Social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat say people need to be at least 13 to sign up. Child protection advocates say the controls are insufficient, however, and official data in several European countries show huge numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts. — Christine Chen, (c) 2025 Reuters
Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up here.
