We tend to call these bans. "Children banned from social media." But what is actually happening is more precise. Governments are restricting platforms from having children on them, shifting responsibility from parents and children onto the companies that built the environments, profit from engagement, and design for retention. The age line is converging. 15 to 16 is becoming the new global threshold. And the category of what counts as "social media" keeps expanding.
A complete global snapshot
The following is a verified, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction overview as of April 2026.
Europe. Rapidly Legislating
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🇦🇺 Australia · Under 16 · In force since Dec 10, 2025. Fines up to AUD $49.5M.
🇫🇷 France · Under 15 · Passed National Assembly Jan 2026. Full enforcement Sept 2026.
🇩🇰 Denmark · Under 15 · Agreed Coalition agreement Nov 2025. Law expected mid-2026.
🇳🇴 Norway · Under 15 · Drafting Consultation closed Oct 2025.
🇪🇸 Spain · Under 16 · Announced PM Sánchez Feb 2026. Parliamentary approval pending.
🇬🇷 Greece · Under 15 · Near final Senior government sources confirmed.
🇸🇮 Slovenia · Under 15 · Drafting Deputy PM announced Feb 2026.
🇵🇱 Poland · Under 15 · Drafting Ruling party preparing legislation.
🇵🇹 Portugal · 13–16 parental consent · Initial approval Bill requires parental consent.
🇦🇹 Austria · Under 14 · Considering Vice Chancellor announced March 2026.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Under 16 proposed · Consultation Children's Wellbeing Bill. Closes May 2026.
🇩🇪 Germany · Under 16 discussed · Debating 77% of adults favour a ban.
🇮🇪 Ireland · Digital age of consent 16 · Considering Tánaiste announced proposals.
🇪🇺 European Union · 16 recommended · Non-binding EU Parliament resolution Nov 2025, 483–92.
Asia Pacific. Moving Fast
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🇦🇺 Australia · Under 16 · In force World's first hard ban. AUD $49.5M fines.
🇮🇩 Indonesia · Under 16 · In force Enacted March 28, 2026. YouTube, TikTok, Roblox in scope.
🇲🇾 Malaysia · Under 16 · In force Online Safety Act, Jan 1, 2026. eKYC required.
🇳🇿 New Zealand · Under 16 · Bill passed Mirrors Australia's model.
🇮🇳 India · Under 16 proposed · Considering Supreme Court referred to parliament.
🇨🇳 China · Minor mode + time limits · In force Strict platform-side controls.
🇸🇬 Singapore · Proposals advancing · Considering Guidelines demand verification.
Middle East. Emerging
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🇦🇪 UAE · Age verification required · Framework Child digital safety law in place.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Under 15 · Bill submitted Parental consent structures proposed.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Under discussion · Early stage Restrictions under discussion.
Africa. Early Stage
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🇳🇬 Nigeria · Proposals emerging · Early stage Regulatory proposals in development.
🇿🇦 South Africa · Increasing focus · Discussing Age limits gaining attention.
🇰🇪 Kenya · Guidelines advancing · Considering Formal proposals progressing.
North America. State-Led
Country / State · Age threshold · Status
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🇺🇸 US (federal) · Under 13 (COPPA) · In force KOSA passed Senate 91–3; House ongoing.
Florida · Under 14 · In force HB3 active. Under legal challenge.
Virginia · Under 16 · In force 1 hour/day default limit.
Utah, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas · Parental consent · In force Age verification requirements.
California · Design regulation · Litigation Targeting algorithmic feeds, duty of care.
South America. Early Movement
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🇧🇷 Brazil · Regulatory pressure · Considering Growing focus on minors and data protection.
🇨🇱 Chile · Policy discussion · Early stage Child digital wellbeing on the agenda.
Three regulatory models are now visible
Model 1: Age-based access bans
Platforms are prohibited from allowing children below the threshold to hold accounts. Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia have implemented this. France and Denmark are adopting it.
Model 2: Conditional access with parental consent
Children below the threshold can access platforms only if a parent provides verifiable consent. This is the dominant US state model.
Model 3: Platform design regulation
Rather than restricting access, this model targets the features that make platforms harmful, algorithmic feeds, infinite scroll, autoplay. California and KOSA lean on this model.
The direction of travel is clear: the majority of new legislation announced in 2025–2026 follows Model 1, hard age limits, platform responsibility for enforcement, financial penalties for non-compliance.
What this actually means for platforms
The platform is responsible, not the parent, not the child
For two decades the assumption was that parents would manage their children's access. The legislative consensus forming now reverses that entirely. Platforms must verify. Platforms face fines.
"Social media" is no longer just Instagram and TikTok
Indonesia's ban explicitly includes Roblox. Australia's includes YouTube. The category is defined by function, not by brand.
Age verification needs to be robust, not performative
The ICO fined Reddit £14.47 million in February 2026 partly for relying on self-declaration. France requires government-approved third-party verification. The era of asking users to enter a date of birth is over.
Multi-jurisdiction compliance is now the baseline requirement
A platform operating globally is simultaneously subject to Australia's hard ban, France's under-15 law, COPPA, the UK Online Safety Act, and the EU DSA, all with different thresholds and penalty regimes.
"For two decades, the assumption was that children would adapt to these environments. That assumption is being reversed.". Safe AI For Children Alliance, April 2026
On enforcement reality: When Australia implemented its ban in December 2025, VPN downloads among teenagers spiked within days. The Molly Rose Foundation found 61% of Australian 12–15 year olds still have active accounts. Laws set the obligation. Technical infrastructure determines whether that obligation is met.
How Tuteliq helps platforms meet this landscape
Age Verification, beyond self-declaration
Liveness detection + official document verification. Configurable per jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction-specific thresholds
Set different minimum age requirements per market. Australia (under 16), France (under 15), US (under 13 federal), configured independently.
DPIA-ready audit trails
Every verification returns an audit_id for compliance documentation.
Real-time harm detection, 13 endpoints
Grooming, sextortion, coercive control, radicalisation, across text, voice, image, and video. Typical response 1.1 to 1.5s. Zero content retention.
Identity verification + ban evasion prevention
Prevents removed users from re-registering with new accounts.
Regulatory alignment across frameworks
KOSA · COPPA · UK Online Safety Act · EU DSA · Children's Code · Australia Online Safety Act.
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Sources: Wikipedia. Social media age verification laws by country (updated April 2026) · TechCrunch · Built In · Biometric Update · Reuters. Status correct as of April 14, 2026.