Applications such as Instagram, Snapchat, X, Facebook and Reddit are now required to ban all users under the age of 16 or face fines. If this law raises many questions about its real effectiveness and its implementation methods, and if other countries favor less restrictive measures, the text nevertheless constitutes a world first and arouses international interest. To be continued…
After months of waiting and debate, Australia’s social media law is now in force. Australians under the age of 16 must now deal with this new reality that prohibits them from having an account on certain social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Only time will tell if this bold experiment, a world first, will be crowned with success. Meanwhile, many countries are already considering following Australia’s lead, while others are taking a different approach to try to keep young people safe online.
A global movement
In November, the European Parliament called for a similar ban on social media for under-16s.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had studied Australia’s restrictions and how they address what she called “algorithms that exploit children’s vulnerabilities”, leaving parents helpless in the face of the “big tech tsunami invading their homes”.
In October, New Zealand announced it would introduce legislation similar to Australia’s, following the work of a parliamentary committee examining how best to combat the harm caused by social media. The commission’s report will be published in early 2026.
Pakistan and India aim to reduce children’s exposure to content that could harm them, by introducing rules requiring parental consent and age verification to access social media, as well as moderation requirements for platforms.
Malaysia has announced that it will ban access to social networks for children under the age of 16 from 2026. This measure is a continuation of the obligation imposed from January 2025 on social networks and messaging platforms with at least eight million users to obtain an operating license and to put in place age verification and content safety measures.
For its part, France plans to ban social networks for those under 15 and impose a curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for the use of platforms for 15-18 year olds. These measures are part of the recommendations made by a French commission of inquiry in September 2025, which also prescribed banning smartphones in schools and establishing an offense of “digital negligence for parents who do not protect their children”.
In 2023, France promulgated a law requiring platforms to obtain the consent of the parents of children under 15 so that they can create an account on social networks. However, this measure has not yet been implemented. This is also the case in Germany: in this country, children aged 13 to 16 can only access platforms with the consent of their parents, but in reality, no real control is exercised.
In Spain, the minimum age to create an account on social networks will increase from the current 14 to 16. Those under 16 will still be able to create an account on the express condition of having their parents’ consent.
Norway announced in July its intention to restrict access to social networks for those under 15. The government explained that the law would be “designed with respect for the fundamental rights of children, including freedom of expression, access to information and the right of association”.
In November, Denmark announced that it wanted to “ban access to social networks for anyone under the age of 15”. However, unlike Australian law, parents can override these rules to allow children aged 13 and 14 to retain access to these platforms. However, no implementation date has been set and adoption of the text by legislators is expected to take several months. It is unclear how the Danish ban will be enforced. But the country has a national digital ID program that could be used for this purpose.
In July, Denmark was selected to participate in a pilot program (along with Greece, France, Spain and Italy) to test an age verification app that could be launched across the European Union for adult sites and other digital service providers.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is looking into Australia’s social media restrictions. The European Union could follow Australia’s example.
Resistances
However, this type of restriction is not applied everywhere in the world.
For example, South Korea decided not to adopt a social media ban for children. But it will ban the use of cell phones and other devices in classrooms from March 2026.
In the city of Toyoake (southwest of Tokyo, Japan), a very different solution has been proposed. The city’s mayor, Masafumi Koki, issued an order in October limiting the use of smartphones, tablets and computers to two hours a day for people of all ages.
Koki is aware of Australia’s social media restrictions. But as he explained:
“If adults aren’t held to the same standards, children won’t accept the rules. »
Although the order received backlash and was not binding, it caused 40% of residents to think about their behavior, and 10% of them reduced the time they spent on their smartphones.
In the United States, opposition to Australia’s social media restrictions has been extremely vocal and significant.
US media and platforms have urged President Donald Trump to “reprimand” Australia over its legislation. They say U.S. companies are being unfairly targeted and have filed formal complaints with the U.S. Commerce Bureau.
President Trump said he would oppose any country that “attacks” U.S. platforms. The United States recently summoned Australian Electronic Security Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant to testify before Congress. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan said enforcing Australia’s online safety law “imposes obligations on American businesses and threatens the freedom of expression of American citizens,” something Inman-Grant strongly denied.
Maintaining global vigilance
While most countries seem to agree on concerns about how algorithms work and the harmful content children are exposed to on social media, only one thing is clear: there is no silver bullet to address these issues.
There are no consensus restrictions or a specific age at which lawmakers agree that children should have unrestricted access to these platforms.
Many countries outside of Australia give parents the option to allow internet access if they believe it is in their children’s best interests. And many countries are considering how best to enforce restrictions, if they put similar rules in place.
As experts highlight the technical difficulties of enforcing Australia’s restrictions, and young Australians consider workarounds to keep their accounts or find new platforms to use, other countries will continue to watch and plan their next moves.
