Global trend emerges as nations implement social media bans for children

Governments worldwide are increasingly implementing restrictions on social media access for minors to address mental health concerns, cyberbullying, and addictive platform designs. Australia led this trend in 2025 by introducing a blanket ban for children under 16, shifting enforcement responsibility from parents to social media platforms. However, the effectiveness of such measures remains debated; reports indicate many children continue to use these services despite regulations.

In Europe, new legislation is being developed to target access to social media, AI chatbots, and online gaming for children under 15. This includes potential bans on addictive features like infinite scrolling and the implementation of tiered access under parental supervision. While the European Union’s Digital Services Act and Ireland’s Online Safety Code have established frameworks for content moderation, individual nations are pursuing stricter age-based limits. Greece, Austria, and Slovenia are among the countries drafting or announcing specific age-based prohibitions.

Implementation challenges persist, particularly regarding age verification. Tech companies have raised concerns that mandatory verification could lead to mass data collection and privacy vulnerabilities. Additionally, critics argue that tech-savvy minors may bypass these restrictions using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).