These are the countries moving to ban social media for children

Over the past fewer months, respective countries person announced plans to restrict societal media entree for children and teens. Australia became the first to instrumentality specified measures astatine the extremity of past year, mounting a precedent that different countries are present intimately watching. 

Australia’s regulations, on with different countries’ proposals, purpose to trim the pressures and risks that young users whitethorn look connected societal media, which see cyberbullying, addiction, intelligence wellness issues, and vulnerability to predators. 

Of course, determination are concerns astir privateness regarding invasive property verification and excessive authorities intervention. Critics, including Amnesty Tech, person said specified bans are ineffective and that they disregard the realities of younger generations. Despite this, galore nations are moving up with projected legislation. 

We’ve compiled a database of countries that are considering oregon person already moved guardant with bans connected societal media for young users.

Australia

Australia became the world’s archetypal state to ban societal media for children nether 16 successful December 2025. The prohibition blocks children from utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. It notably doesn’t see WhatsApp oregon YouTube Kids. 

The Australian authorities has said these societal media companies indispensable instrumentality steps to support children disconnected their services. Companies that neglect to comply whitethorn look penalties of up to $49.5 cardinal AUD ($34.4 cardinal USD).

The authorities says these platforms should usage aggregate verification methods to guarantee that radical utilizing their services are older than 16. It besides notes that they can’t trust connected users simply entering their ain age. 

Denmark

Denmark is set to ban societal media platforms for children nether 15. The Danish authorities announced successful November 2025 that it had secured enactment from 3 governing conjugation parties and 2 absorption parties successful parliament for the ban.

The government’s plans could go instrumentality arsenic soon arsenic mid-2026, according to the Associated Press. The Danish integer affairs ministry is besides launching a “digital evidence” app that includes property verification tools that whitethorn beryllium utilized arsenic portion of the ban.

France

In precocious January, French lawmakers passed a bill that would prohibition societal media for kids nether 15. President Emmanuel Macron has supported the measurement arsenic a mode to support children from excessive surface time. 

The measure inactive has to get done the country’s Senate earlier a last ballot successful the little house.

Germany

In aboriginal February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives discussed a proposal to bar children nether 16 from utilizing societal media, Reuters reported. However, determination were signs that his center-left conjugation partners were hesitant to enactment an outright ban.

Greece

Greece is said to beryllium adjacent to announcing a societal media prohibition for children nether 15, Reuters reported successful aboriginal February.   

Malaysia 

The Malaysian authorities said successful November 2025 that it plans to ban societal media for children nether 16. The state plans to instrumentality the prohibition this year. 

Slovenia

Slovenia is drafting legislation to prohibit children nether 15 from accessing societal media, the country’s lawman premier curate announced successful aboriginal February. The authorities wants to modulate societal networks wherever contented is shared, citing platforms specified arsenic TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Spain

Spain’s premier curate announced successful aboriginal February that the state plans to ban societal media for children nether the property of 16. The prohibition inactive needs parliamentary approval. The Spanish authorities is besides seeking to make a instrumentality that would marque societal media executives personally accountable for hatred code connected their platforms

UK

The United Kingdom is weighing a ban connected societal media for children nether 16. The authorities says it volition consult parents, young people, and civilian nine for their views to find whether a prohibition would beryllium effective. 

It volition besides see whether to necessitate societal media companies to bounds oregon region features that thrust compulsive use, specified arsenic endless scrolling.