Peru and Costa Rica consider social media age limits for minors

Legislative efforts to establish minimum age requirements for social media use are gaining momentum in Peru and Costa Rica.

In Peru, Deputy Marino Lavado Valdivia of Juntos por el Perú has introduced a bill proposing that individuals must be at least 16 years old to create and maintain personal social media accounts. The proposal mandates that platforms implement reliable, non-discriminatory age verification mechanisms. While minors under 16 could still view public content that does not require an account, platforms would be responsible for preventing the creation of personal profiles. The bill also includes provisions for default privacy settings for 16 and 17-year-olds, such as private profiles and disabled geolocation, alongside free parental control tools.

In Costa Rica, the Legislative Assembly is processing two separate initiatives: one proposing a minimum age of 15 for certain platforms and another suggesting 14 years for services involving social interaction. However, the Fundación La Casa de los Niños has cautioned that age restrictions alone may not ensure safety, noting that risks like cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content persist through online video and gaming. The foundation emphasizes that digital literacy and teaching children to recognize misinformation are essential tools alongside legislative measures.