# Countries banning social media for kids

> 12 nations now restrict social media for children under 16
- Title: Countries banning social media for kids · Mashable | Shortify
- Summary: 12 nations now restrict social media for children under 16 Social media bans for children under 16 are being implemented across 12 countries and the EU
- Keywords: australia, canada, brazil, austria, indonesia, denmark, france, germany, greece, malaysia, new zealand, Countries
- Source: Mashable — https://mashable.com/tech/social-media-ban-children-countries-list
- Author: Shannon Connellan
- Published: 2026-09-17T10:40:06+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: australia, uk, canada, brazil, austria, indonesia, denmark, france, germany, greece, malaysia, new zealand
## Australia sets global precedent
Australia banned social media for children under 16 in December 2025 with the Online Safety Amendment Act

> The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act requires social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and Snapchat to implement age verification
## Austria follows with under-14 ban
Austria plans to ban social media for children under 14 with a new school curriculum requirement

> Austria's legislation would also add a new compulsory subject, Media and Democracy, to school curriculums to boost awareness of how to recognize disinformation and radicalization
## Brazil enforces under-16 age rule
Brazil's Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents requires age verification for social media under 16

> The law requires kids under sixteen to link their social media accounts with a legal guardian
## Canada proposes under-16 ban
Canada will ban social media accounts for children under 16 with age verification requirements

> The Safe Social Media Act will enforce age verification to access online services and legally mandated safety requirements for social media platforms
## Denmark targets under-15 age rule
Denmark plans to ban social media for children under 15 with parental flexibility options

> Parents could allow their children to use social media from the age of thirteen
## EU proposes under-13 ban
The EU plans to ban social media for children under 13 with age verification across all platforms

> The EU KIDS Act will require age verification via the EU age verification app or third-party platforms
## France enacts under-15 ban
France will ban social media for children under 15 starting September 2026

> The social media ban will block under-15s from creating new accounts as of September one, and all existing accounts will come under the law in January 2027
## Greece targets under-15 age rule
Greece plans to ban social media for children under 15 with sleep and anxiety concerns

> The measure will take effect on January one, two thousand twenty-seven, and the PM said age verification is also needed
## Indonesia bans under-16 access
Indonesia will deactivate social media accounts for children under 16 by end of March 2026

> Anyone under sixteen with an account on a high risk online platform would see it deactivated by the end of March
## Malaysia enforces under-16 rule
Malaysia banned social media for children under 16 starting June 2026

> The law requires social media companies to add age verification and prohibit kids under sixteen from creating accounts on platforms with at least eight million users
## New Zealand introduces age rule
New Zealand will prevent children under 16 from accessing social media and AI companions

> The Online Safety Bill will need to be passed into law by parliament, after which platforms will have six months to comply
## Poland considers under-15 ban
Poland plans to ban social media for children under 15 with age verification requirements

> Education Minister Barbara Nowacka announced plans on February twenty-six, two thousand twenty-six
## Key takeaway

Social media bans for children under 16 are being implemented across 12 countries and the EU