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Global youth social media regulation trends

Updated 20 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-08 00:05 UTC → 2026-09-10 20:09 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Governments and regulators worldwide are increasingly implementing restrictions on social media use for minors to combat digital addiction and protect mental health. Early actions in Cyprus and Turkey focused on banning use for children under 15. Australia pioneered a ban for those under 16, which has since influenced legislative discussions in the United Kingdom, Spain, and several European nations. In the European Union, the European Commission is pushing for harmonized rules under the Digital Services Act, proposing age-verification tools and tiered access models. In Greece, Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou has outlined a strategy to restrict social media access for children under 15. During the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, he emphasized Greece’s leadership in advocating for a unified European framework that includes common digital literacy thresholds and safer digital service design. To facilitate age verification, the government is introducing the ‘Kids Wallet’ initiative, shifting the responsibility to platforms, which must terminate access if a minor is identified. This effort is being developed in close cooperation with the European Commission. Efforts toward EU-wide harmonization have gained momentum following Following legal setbacks in ~~France. After France’s~~ France, where the Constitutional Council blocked a proposed law for children under 15, French President Emmanuel Macron ~~called on~~ formally requested that the European Commission ~~President Ursula von der Leyen for a unified ‘European text’ to~~ implement an EU-wide ban ~~social media access~~ for ~~children~~ those under 15. Macron ~~intends to introduce~~ argues a ~~revised French legislative proposal this autumn and~~ unified framework is ~~advocating~~ necessary to harmonize regulations and advocates for ~~broader regulations, including~~ robust age verification, stricter controls on addictive ~~functionalities, safety-by-default standards,~~ features, and ~~enforceable time limits. Regulatory strategies continue~~ safety-by-default standards. However, over 130 child rights organizations have urged the EU to ~~face~~ focus on platform regulation rather than blanket bans, warning that prohibitions might shift the burden of safety from tech companies to parents. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to introduce measures to protect minors, stating, “We must not accept the addictive potential of social networks.” The Commission is reportedly considering a ban for those under 15, while potentially allowing access for those aged 13 to 15 with parental consent. Official proposals are expected to be presented to the European Parliament in mid-September. Despite the push for a pan-European mandate, the initiative faces ongoing legal scrutiny and ~~practical hurdles.~~ varying levels of support across member states.

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