Australia has approved a social media ban for children aged under 16, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting big tech.
The laws, which will come into effect from late 2025, will bar under-16s from being able to access social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X.
Exemptions will apply for health and education services including YouTube, Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline and Google Classroom.
Here is what Australia, European countries and tech companies have been doing to regulate children’s access to social media.
Australia
The new law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to $49.5m. A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January, with the ban to take effect in a year.
Tech’s own regulation
Social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat say people need to be at least 13 to sign up. Child protection advocates say control is insufficient, however, and official data in several European countries show huge numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts.
The UK
Britain has no current plans for Australia-style restrictions. But the digital minister, Peter Kyle, has said everything is on the table when it comes to keeping people safe online and has launched a study to explore the impact of smartphone and social media use specifically on children.
He said regulator Ofcom must have regard to government priorities such as safety by design and transparency and accountability, as they enforce the Online Safety Act from next year.
The act, which sets tougher standards for social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok – including on appropriate age restrictions – was passed in 2023 by the previous government.
Norway
The Norwegian government last month proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 years from 13 years currently, although parents would still be permitted to sign off on their behalf if they are under the age limit.
The centre-left government also said it had begun work on legislation to set an absolute legal minimum age limit for social media use, but it was not immediately clear when a law mandating this may reach parliament.
Half of Norway’s nine-year-olds use some form of social media, according to the government.
EU legislation
In the European Union, parental consent is required for the processing of personal data for children under the age of 16, though the bloc’s 27 member states can lower that limit to 13.
France
In 2023, France passed a law requiring social platforms to obtain parental consent for minors under 15 to create accounts. However, local media say technical challenges mean it has not yet enforced.
In April, a panel commissioned by the president, Emmanuel Macron, recommended stricter rules, including banning mobile phones for children under 11 and internet-enabled phones for those under 13. It is unclear when new legislation could be adopted and to what extent it would follow experts’ recommendations.
Germany
Officially, minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are allowed to use social media in Germany only if their parents give consent. There are currently no plans to go further. However, child protection advocates say controls are insufficient and call for existing rules to be better implemented.
Belgium
In 2018, Belgium enacted a law requiring children to be at least 13 to create a social media account without parental permission.
Netherlands
The Netherlands doesn’t have any laws regarding a minimum age for social media use, but the government banned mobile devices in classrooms from January 2024 to reduce distractions. Exceptions apply for digital lessons, medical needs or disabilities.
Italy
Children under 14 in Italy need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, while no consent is required from that age upwards.
