France has become the latest country to restrict children’s access to social media, passing a law that will ban under-15s from opening accounts from September 1.
The move follows the UAE’s decision in June to introduce a minimum age of 15 for social media users, making it the first Arab country to approve such legislation. Under the rules, children younger than 15 will be prohibited from creating or operating accounts, while 15 and 16-year-olds will receive enhanced protection covering content, contact with strangers and screen time.
France and the UAE are among a growing number of countries taking action amid concerns over the effects of social media on children’s mental health, online safety and exposure to harmful or addictive content.
Here are the countries that have introduced restrictions or are moving towards them.
Australia
On December 10 last year, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide social media ban for children under 16. The law requires major platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts or face fines of up to $49.5 million. Platforms affected include Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, X and YouTube.
Indonesia
Indonesia became the first Asian country to implement a social media ban for children this year. Since March 28, accounts for under-16s on “high-risk” platforms were deactivated, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and Roblox.
“Our children are facing increasingly real threats, ranging from exposure to pornography, cyber bullying and online scams, to addiction, which is the most significant concern,” said Meutya Hafid, the country's communications and digital affairs minister, when announcing the ban in early March.
“The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of algorithm-driven platforms.”
Malaysia
Malaysia began enforcing rules barring children younger than 16 from having social media accounts on June 1. Social media platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, must implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts, the country's Communications and Multimedia Commission said.
Users identified as under 16 have been given a month to download or transfer data, including photos and videos, before restrictions or other actions are applied.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million), the Associated Press reported, but parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalised.
UAE
The UAE Cabinet approved a social media ban for children under the age of 15 on June 18. The Cabinet, led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, issued the ruling to “establish an advanced model for child protection in the digital space”.
Social media platforms have a transitional period of up to 12 months to bring their operations into compliance, the Cabinet's resolution said.
UK
The UK will introduce a full ban on social media and gaming sites for children under the age of 16 “within a year”, then Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 15.
The sweeping reforms will prohibit children from accessing sites such as TikTok and Instagram, as well as live-streaming and gaming sites. “Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children?” Starmer asked at a media briefing while announcing the move.
“We're not just bringing forward a ban, we're going further, we're taking world-leading action on gaming services and live-streaming platforms, where at the moment strangers can contact any child unchecked,” he added.
France
France has become the first country in Europe to approve a ban on social media for children under 15.
The law, passed by both houses of parliament on July 21, will prevent children younger than 15 from opening social media accounts from September 1. Platforms will then have four months to close existing accounts and must introduce age-verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator.
President Emmanuel Macron has backed the legislation, arguing that children need greater protection from the harmful effects of social media. Speaking in April, he said young people had been left in a digital “jungle” that had “robbed” them of their attention, adding that those under 15 should no longer have access to social media.
Countries proposing a ban
Spain
Spain has also proposed a ban on social media for children under 16. While the ban needs parliamentary approval, the proposed law will protect children “from the digital Wild West”, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. We will no longer accept that. We will protect them,” Mr Sanchez said in a speech at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February.
Denmark
The Danish government announced in November last year that it had secured an agreement by three governing coalitions and two opposition parties in parliament to ban access to social media for anyone under the age of 15.
Minister for Digital Affairs Caroline Stage, who announced the proposed ban, told AP last year there is still a consultation process for the measure and several readings in parliament before it becomes law, perhaps by “mid to end of next year”.
“In far too many years, we have given the social media platforms free play in the playing rooms of our children. There’s been no limits,” Ms Stage said.
Norway
Norway announced in April that it would present a bill to parliament by the end of this year to ban children under 16 from using social media and hold technology companies responsible for age verification.
“We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said.
Greece
Greece plans to ban children under 15 from accessing social media from January.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in April the move was designed to address rising anxiety, poor sleep and the “addictive design” of social media, stressing that the aim was not to discourage children from using technology, but to protect them from business models built around capturing their attention.
Mitsotakis has also called for co-ordinated action across the European Union.
Turkey
Turkey is also moving to tighten children's access to social media after lawmakers in April approved a bill that would ban under-15s from opening accounts on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
The proposed law would require social media companies to introduce age-verification systems, provide parental control tools and respond quickly to harmful content. Online gaming companies would also have to appoint a representative in Turkey to ensure compliance with the regulations.
Companies that fail to comply could face fines or internet bandwidth restrictions imposed by the country's communications watchdog.
European Union
The European Union is moving towards tighter rules on children's use of social media. In May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would seek stronger protection for young people by tackling the “addictive and harmful design practices” used by some platforms through its proposed Digital Fairness Act, which is expected to come into effect later this year.
Separately, the European Parliament backed a non-binding resolution in November calling for an EU-wide ban on children under 16 accessing social media, video-sharing platforms and AI companions without parental consent, alongside a complete ban for children younger than 13.
