Name: Tracking Europes approach to social media bans for teenagers
Uploaded: 2026-04-02T11:18:08.539Z
Duration: 1 min 57 s
Description: A social media ban for under 16s is gaining momentum with governments worldwide, as tech giants face a fresh wave of scrutiny after Australia became the first to adopt such a law in December. Sawdah Bhaimiya filed this report.

A social media ban for under 16s is gaining momentum with governments worldwide, as tech giants face a fresh wave of scrutiny after Australia became the first to adopt such a law in December. Sawdah Bhaimiya filed this report.

Brussels

European policymakers are increasingly focused on protecting teenagers from potential harms associated with social media use, following evidence linking high usage to mental health issues. Several countries, including Spain and France, are moving forward with legislation to restrict or ban access for minors, while others like the UK are seeking tighter regulation and safety measures.

Social media companies have begun implementing some changes, such as parental alerts for concerning searches, but regulators continue to push for more robust protections. The trend follows Australia's landmark legislation and is expected to expand as more European countries consider similar actions.

Tracking Europe's approach to social media bans for teenagers

Australia's landmark legislation has prompted policy makers around the world to reconsider their approach to social media and young people. Several studies have shown that high social media use in teens is linked with poorer mental health, ranging from depression, low self-esteem to stress and anxiety. As evidence has mounted over the years, social media firms are facing several high-profile lawsuits in 2026, with experts comparing it to the cases brought against big tobacco companies in the 1990s. Social media firms have taken some incremental steps to better protect young people, with Instagram recently announcing it will alert the parents of teens who repeatedly search for suicide and self-harm terms. The trials and research findings have prompted several European countries to look at how to better protect children on social media. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says a ban for teens under 16 will be rolled out soon across the country, with platforms required to implement stringent age verification checks under the ban. The UK Parliament voted against a proposed ban for under-16s in March, but ministers still want greater regulation of platforms, from age restrictions to a limit on addictive features like infinite scrolling. More recently, regulators including Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office wrote to social media companies urging them to tackle a broad range of child safety issues, from implementing strict age verification measures to tackling child grooming on their platforms. Meanwhile, France's National Assembly backed a bill limiting access for under-15s on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok earlier this year. The bill still needs Senate approval, but if it passes, it will take effect at the start of the next school year in September. Greece, Germany, Ireland and Denmark are more of the European countries exploring restricting access to teenagers, and it appears to be just a matter of time before more countries join Australia in cutting off access. Soda Bhimia for CNBC Business News.

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