Global Movement Emerges to Ban Social Media for Minors

A global legislative trend has emerged to restrict social media access for children, led by Australia, which enacted a world-first ban on accounts for users under 16 in December 2025. The Australian government requires platforms to verify ages and deactivate existing underage accounts, prompting Meta to remove nearly 550,000 accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads to avoid fines up to AU$49.5 million. This move has sparked similar efforts internationally, with Denmark announcing plans for a ban under 15, while France, Norway, and the United Kingdom debate various restrictions.

In the United States, Virginia implemented a law on January 1, 2026, limiting users under 16 to one hour of daily use by default. While Governor Glenn Youngkin framed the measure as a response to a mental health crisis, the tech trade group NetChoice filed for a federal injunction, arguing the law violates the First Amendment.

Other nations are currently drafting similar frameworks. Türkiye is proposing a minimum age of 15, citing national security and digital dependency. In Bahrain, the Shura Council is debating amendments to the Child Law to prohibit accounts for children under 15 and regulate access for those aged 15 to 18. These initiatives are consistently framed as necessary safeguards against cyberbullying, grooming, and algorithmic addiction, despite pushback from tech companies who argue that age-verification technology remains unreliable.