March 27 – Australia in December became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.. Factbox-From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children’s social media access. The ban comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.. Below is a summary of what countries and companies are doing to regulate access to social media.. AUSTRALIA. A landmark law forced major social media platforms to block minors under 16 from December 10, 2025, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting major tech platforms.. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million .. AUSTRIA. Austria will ban social media for children up to the age of 14, the conservative-led, three-party government said on March 27. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and junior digitisation minister Alexander Proell said draft legislation for the ban would be finalised by June.. BRAZIL. Brazil’s Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents, which requires minors under 16 to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian and bans addictive platform features such as infinite scroll, came into force on March 17.. BRITAIN. Britain is considering an Australia-style ban on social media and tighter AI chatbots safety rules for children under 16 as early as this year, technology minister Liz Kendall said in February.. Social media bans, curfews and app time limits will be tested in the homes of 300 teenagers to gauge the impact on children’s sleep, family life and schoolwork, the government said on March 24.. CHINA. China’s cyberspace regulator has put in place a so-called “minor mode” programme that requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age.. DENMARK. Denmark said in November it would ban social media for children under 15, while parents could provide access to certain platforms to kids down to the age of 13.. FRANCE. France’s National Assembly in January approved legislation to ban children under 15 from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks. The bill needs to pass through the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.. GERMANY. Minors aged 13-16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.. GREECE. Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source told Reuters on February 3.. INDIA. Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, on March 6 became the first Indian state to ban social media for children under 16. Neighbouring states of Goa and Andhra Pradesh are also weighing restrictions.. India’s chief economic adviser called for age restrictions on social media platforms in January, describing them as “predatory” in how they keep users engaged online.. I
