In December 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, X (Twitter), YouTube and others. Under this new law, platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under‑16s from holding accounts — or they data-face hefty fines of up to A$49.5 million (about ₹300 crore).

Now, several other nations are considering or moving toward similar restrictions on youth social media use.

🌏 1. Australia’s Groundbreaking Ban on Under‑16s

Australia’s law, effective from 10 December 2025, requires platforms to enforce age verification systems and deactivate accounts of users under 16. This applies to major social networks with interactive features — not just passive video sites.
The government says the measure is aimed at protecting children from online harms like cyberbullying, addictive design, inappropriate content and mental health risks.

🇲🇾 2. malaysia Plans a Similar Ban in 2026

Following Australia’s lead, Malaysia has announced plans to ban social media use for children under 16 starting next year, under provisions of its Online Safety Act 2025. The aim, officials say, is to protect young users from cyberbullying, abuse and other online risks.

This would make malaysia one of the first countries outside australia to adopt comparable youth social media restrictions.

🇩🇰 3. Denmark’s Proposal to Restrict Under‑15s

In Europe, Denmark is moving in a similar direction, planning to ban social media for children under 15 as early as mid‑2026. The proposal may allow parental consent for ages 13–14 but aims to give authorities the power to enforce stricter age limits.

Denmark’s government is also developing a digital age certificate system — an app to verify age for social media access — to support enforcement.

🇫🇷 4. france Considering Age Limits Under 15

The French government is planning to ban social media access for children under 15 starting around September 2026 as part of broader child protection reforms. The move is similar in spirit to Australia’s and reflects growing concern about youth exposure to harmful online content.

🌍 5. Broader european Interest

Beyond individual national proposals, several other european countries — including the UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, finland and germany — are actively debating social media restrictions or enhanced protections for minors. Some are considering rules requiring parental consent, raising the minimum age, or strengthening platform safety features.

This trend has been bolstered by EU‑level wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital safety frameworks that already require platforms to adopt age verification and parental controls — though enforcement varies.

Will Other Countries (Like India) Follow?

So far, no official law similar to Australia’s has been enacted in India. However, the global debate has intensified — and policymakers in many countries are watching Australia’s experiment closely to see if the benefits outweigh the challenges.

Here are some key considerations for other nations:

✔ Pros Cited by Supporters

• Protects children from harm — mental health issues, predatory behaviour and bullying.
• Limits exposure to addictive social media design.
• Promotes digital wellbeing and safety.

✘ Challenges Raised by Critics

• Hard to enforce — tech savvy teens can use VPNs or fake ages to bypass restrictions.
• Freedom and parental responsibility — critics argue that wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital literacy and parental controls may be more effective than a ban.
• Tech company compliance — platforms have already raised technical and privacy concerns about forced age verification.

In democracies with large youth populations and high internet penetration, outright bans may be difficult to implement or resist public pushback — especially if enforcement falls on tech companies rather than families.

Summary: Countries Moving Toward youth social media Restrictions

Country

Status

Proposed Age Limit

Australia

Law in effect

Under 16 banned

Malaysia

Planned in 2026

Under 16

Denmark

Proposal

Under 15

France

Proposal

Under 15

UK, Spain, Italy, etc.

Debating restrictions

Varies

Conclusion

Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is a world‑first regulatory experiment that has already led to the deactivation of millions of accounts and drawn global attention.
Now, countries like Malaysia, denmark and France are preparing similar measures — and more european nations are actively considering youth protections online. Whether other countries, including India, will adopt comparable laws remains to be seen, but this trend marks a major shift in how governments approach child safety in the wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital age.

 

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