More countries seek to ban social media platforms for children

A panel of experts is set to submit its recommendations today to the European Commission regarding the possibility of imposing a ban on the use of social media platforms by children in the 27 European Union member states, as part of a plan to regulate children’s access to these apps, following the adoption or proposal of similar measures in more than 20 countries worldwide. Among the 20 countries identified by Agence France-Presse, restrictions on social media platforms have entered into force in five countries. In most of these countries, the measures are recent and target children under the age of 15 or 16. Australia has banned social media platforms for children under 16 since December 2025, while Brazil enacted a law in March requiring platforms to link accounts of users under 16 to those of their parents, as well as mandating age verification for users. The United Arab Emirates announced last month a ban on social media platforms for children under 15, with implementation to begin in about a year. Indonesia has banned social media use for individuals under 16 since March, while Malaysia approved similar legislation in June prohibiting this age group from using major platforms.