The World Is Turning Against Kids on Social Media
It started in Australia. In late 2025, the country became the first in the world to formally ban children from using social media — a bold move that sent shockwaves through the tech industry and sparked a global conversation about protecting young people online.
Now, that conversation is turning into action. A growing number of countries are considering or actively pursuing similar legislation, signalling that the era of unlimited youth access to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat may be coming to an end.
Why Governments Are Acting Now
The motivations behind these bans are consistent across borders: cyberbullying, social media addiction, exposure to predators, and the well-documented toll that algorithmic content feeds take on adolescent mental health.
Research has mounted steadily over the past decade linking heavy social media use among teens — particularly girls — to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and body image issues. For many lawmakers, the question is no longer whether to act, but how fast.
Australia's law set an age threshold of 16, requiring platforms to verify users' ages or face heavy fines. Critics called it unenforceable; supporters called it a necessary first step.
Which Countries Are Joining the Movement
Since Australia's landmark legislation, several other nations have moved to study or implement their own versions of a children's social media ban:
- United Kingdom — The Online Safety Act already places significant duties on platforms to protect minors. Regulators have been pushing for stricter age verification, and further restrictions are widely expected.
- France — Passed legislation in 2023 requiring parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts. Further bans have been debated in parliament.
- Norway — Home to some of Europe's most vocal advocates for digital age restrictions, Norway has proposed raising the age of consent for social media to 15.
- United States — No federal ban exists yet, but multiple states have passed or are pursuing age-verification laws. The KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) continues to gain traction in Congress.
- Several EU member states — The EU's Digital Services Act imposes platform-level obligations around minors, and individual member countries are exploring national-level bans on top of that.
Tech Companies Push Back
Unsurprisingly, the platforms aren't going down without a fight. Meta, TikTok, and others have argued that age verification is technically complex, potentially invasive of adult users' privacy, and unlikely to actually stop determined teens from accessing their apps via VPNs or falsified birthdates.
Some have proposed self-regulatory alternatives — parental dashboards, time limits, content filters — but critics say these half-measures have repeatedly proven inadequate.
What Comes Next
The global momentum is undeniable. What began as one country's experiment has quickly become a template other governments are eager to adapt. Whether strict bans prove effective or simply displace the problem remains to be seen — but the political will to act has never been stronger.
For parents, educators, and young people themselves, the message from governments worldwide is becoming increasingly clear: the digital wild west for children may finally be drawing to a close.
Source: TechCrunch — These are the countries moving to ban social media for children
