Which Countries Ban Social Media for Children? Every Law, Bill and Plan (October 2026)
Australia, Malaysia and Brazil have under-16 social media rules in force; Turkey starts in November 2026. The UK, Denmark, Greece, Canada and the EU are next.
As of 16 October 2026, three countries have a social media age rule for under-16s in force: Australia (no accounts under 16, since 10 December 2025), Malaysia (since 1 June 2026) and Brazil (accounts linked to a parent, since 17 March 2026). Turkey's under-15 ban takes effect around 1 November 2026. The UK and Denmark have announced bans, Greece, Canada and the EU have bills, and France's under-15 ban was struck down in August 2026.
In 2026 a wave of countries moved to set a minimum age for social media. Some are law, some are bills, some are only announcements, and one was struck down. They are easy to confuse, so this page lists only rules confirmed on the law itself or an official government page, with the status of each as of 16 October 2026.
Every confirmed law, bill and plan
| Country | Age | Status | What the rule does | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 16 | In force | No accounts under 16 on age-restricted social media | Since 10 December 2025 |
| Malaysia | 16 | In force | Under-16s only through a parent's or guardian's account; platforms must verify age | Since 1 June 2026 |
| Brazil | 16 | In force | Under-16s' accounts must be linked to a parent's or guardian's account | Since 17 March 2026 |
| Turkey | 15 | Passed, not yet in force | Social networks may not serve children under 15 | Published 1 May 2026; starts about 1 November 2026 |
| United Kingdom | 16 | Announced | Social media to be blocked for under-16s | Announced 15 June 2026; rules expected spring 2027 |
| Denmark | 15 | Announced | Minimum age 15, with parental consent possible from 13 | Political agreement 7 November 2025; no bill confirmed |
| Greece | 15 | Bill | Minimum age 15 for social networking services | Tabled 9 October 2026; proposed start 1 January 2027 |
| Canada | 16 | Bill | Platforms must verify age to keep under-16s from holding accounts | Bill C-34, introduced 10 June 2026 |
| European Union | 15 | Proposal | Own account from 15; supervised at 13 and 14; none under 13 | Proposed 17 September 2026 (EU KIDS Act) |
| France | 15 | Struck down | Under-15 ban passed by Parliament | Declared unconstitutional 14 August 2026 |
| United States | 13 | In force (data rule only) | Parental consent to collect data from under-13s (COPPA); no federal ban | Since 2000 |
Country by country
Australia. The first country with a full ban. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and Kick must take reasonable steps to stop under-16s holding accounts. Fines reach A$109.2 million; children and parents face none. More than 5 million accounts were removed or restricted in the first six months. eSafety Commissioner. Our Australia explainer covers how it is going.
Malaysia. Since 1 June 2026, platforms must verify age, and children aged 15 and under may use social media only through a parent's or guardian's account, under the Online Safety Act 2025 and the Child Protection Code. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Brazil. Law 15.211/2025, known as the "ECA Digital", requires accounts of users up to 16 to be linked to a legal guardian's account, and platforms to suspend accounts that show signs of underage use. In force since 17 March 2026, with fines up to 10% of Brazilian revenue. Lei 15.211/2025.
Turkey. Law 7578, published in the Official Gazette on 1 May 2026, bars social network providers from serving children under 15 and requires age verification and parental controls. It takes effect six months after publication, around 1 November 2026. Resmî Gazete.
United Kingdom. Announced on 15 June 2026; the first regulations are due before the end of 2026 and to apply in spring 2027. WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be covered. GOV.UK. Details in our UK explainer.
Denmark. A political agreement of 7 November 2025 says a minimum age of 15 will be set by law, with parents able to consent from 13 after an individual assessment. We could not confirm that a bill has been tabled. Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs.
Greece. A bill setting a minimum age of 15 was tabled in the Hellenic Parliament on 9 October 2026, with a proposed start of 1 January 2027. Hellenic Parliament.
Canada. Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, would require platforms to use age verification or estimation to stop under-16s holding accounts, with penalties up to C$10 million or 3% of global revenue. It was at second reading in October 2026. Parliament of Canada.
European Union. The EU KIDS Act, proposed on 17 September 2026, would ban accounts under 13, allow parent-supervised accounts at 13 and 14 (up to an hour a day, with parent-approved contacts) and own accounts from 15. Feedback is open until 3 December 2026; the Parliament and Council must still agree it. European Commission.
France. Parliament passed an under-15 ban in July 2026, but the Constitutional Council struck it down on 14 August 2026, finding it not adapted, necessary and proportionate. France has no under-15 ban in force.
United States. There is no federal social media age ban. COPPA requires parental consent before collecting data from children under 13, which is why most apps set 13 as their minimum. Several states have passed their own laws, many of them challenged in court.
Countries left out on purpose
Spain's bill on protecting minors online lapsed on 6 October 2026. Norway, Indonesia, New Zealand, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Italy, Germany and others have discussed or announced plans, but we could not confirm them on an official page, so they are not in the table. This page adds a country when its rule can be checked at the source.
Apps set their own ages too
A national law sits on top of each app's own minimum age, which for most social apps is 13. See how old you have to be for each app, and every country on a map in the social media age law map.
Sources
The official source for each country is linked above. All were checked on 16 October 2026.