These are the countries moving to ban social media for children

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TLDR

  • At least 13 countries have passed or are drafting laws to ban children under 14-16 from social media, led by Australia’s December 2025 law.

Key Takeaways

  • Australia’s ban (December 2025) covers under-16s on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick; fines reach $34.4M USD for non-compliance.
  • Turkey passed a bill in April 2026 banning under-15s, pending presidential sign-off from Erdogan; France passed a similar bill in January 2026, awaiting Senate approval.
  • Austria (under 14), Denmark, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK all have legislation in various draft or announced stages targeting 2026-2027.
  • Indonesia’s March 2026 announcement covers YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox for under-16s.
  • Age thresholds cluster at 15-16 across most countries, with Austria the strictest at under 14.

Why It Matters

  • Platforms face fragmented, country-by-country age-verification mandates with no common standard, raising compliance costs and enforcement complexity.
  • Australia’s penalty structure ($34.4M USD) sets a precedent for how regulators price non-compliance, likely influencing other countries’ fine frameworks.
  • The wave is fast-moving: roughly a dozen countries shifted from discussion to draft law between late 2025 and mid-2026, compressing platform response timelines.

TechCrunch · 2026-04-23 · Read the original