On December 10, 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media access for anyone under 16, covering platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The idea has since spread. A survey by G1, compiled from Reuters reporting, shows that more than ten countries have adopted or are debating restrictions on children and teenagers using these platforms, driven by concerns over mental health and online safety. This article is based on G1, the only reachable source on the topic at this time.
The Australian law works like a bouncer at the door of a club: the platform, not the family, has to turn the minor away. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.9 million). It is the model governments around the world have started to copy, each with its own adjustments.
Europe moves forward, with stumbles
France shows that passing these laws is easier than making them stick. The French Parliament approved a ban for under-15s in July, citing cyberbullying and mental health risks. On August 14, however, the country's top court blocked the text, ruling that it violated freedom of expression. Denmark announced in November a ban for under-15s, with a carve-out letting parents authorize access from age 13. Greece, Poland and Slovenia are drafting similar bills, and Norway wants to raise the minimum consent age from 13 to 15, with plans for an absolute 15-year floor later on.
Germany and Italy rely on parental consent instead of prohibition. In Germany, teens aged 13 to 16 can only use social media with parental approval, a model child protection advocates consider insufficient, according to G1. In Italy, parental authorization is mandatory up to age 14.
From the United Kingdom to Malaysia
The United Kingdom plans to ban access for under-16s, with approval expected by Christmas and enforcement around the spring of 2027, according to June statements by former prime minister Keir Starmer. The British package goes further: companies like Apple and Google would have to activate features able to detect and block nude images on children's devices. New Zealand is studying an under-16 ban with fines of up to 10% of platforms' global revenue and age verification through facial recognition or digital ID. Malaysia has blocked account creation by under-16s since June, and China caps screen time by age bracket through its "minor mode" program. In India, the government's chief economic adviser defended age limits and called the platforms "predatory" for the way they keep users hooked.
Follow the money to understand why this fight is so hard. Big social networks sell attention: every extra minute a teenager spends scrolling turns into billed advertising. Teenagers are the audience that forms habits for life, the most valuable customer at the counter. Cutting that access hits future revenue directly, which explains the industry pressure cited by Spain's government and the companies' reluctance to foot the bill for age verification.
What we still do not know: no country has yet proven that a ban actually reduces harm, and age verification runs into a real dilemma. To check who is a minor, platforms may end up collecting even more data from everyone, adults included. The French court's decision shows there are legal limits to this kind of law. In practice, readers should watch how enforcement is designed: if the rule stays on paper only, as critics say happens in Germany, the effect will likely be small. For parents, the concrete step today remains using the consent controls that already exist and following the debate, because this regulatory wave is likely to reach more countries in the coming months.