Global Legislative Momentum on Social Media Age Restrictions Intensifies with New Measures in Norway and Turkey
Introduction
More and more national governments are passing or proposing laws to limit children''s access to social media. Norway and Turkey are the latest countries to announce such measures. These actions show a broad regulatory response to worries about how social media platforms affect children''s mental health, safety, and development. At the same time, technology companies like Meta are trying to reduce regulatory pressure by offering better parental control tools.
Main Body
On April 24, Norway''s minority Labour government announced that it will present a bill to parliament by the end of 2026. The bill would ban children under 16 from using social media. Under the proposal, technology companies would be responsible for checking users'' ages when they log in. The enforcement system would be linked to the EU-inspired Digital Services Act. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store stated that the law aims to stop childhood from being controlled by algorithms and screens. The government had earlier considered a 15-year age limit based on date of birth, but chose a stricter, uniform system to avoid dividing students within school classes. Norway''s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that giving age verification to private companies could harm user privacy. Official figures from Norway''s media regulator show that in 2026, 51% of children aged 9–10 and 74% of those aged 11–12 were active on social platforms, even though the current minimum age is 13. Turkey''s parliament passed a bill on April 23 that includes restricting social media access for children under 15. The law requires platforms to set up age-verification systems and create safe digital spaces for minors, with controlled use encouraged. It also requires platforms with many users to appoint a representative in Turkey. Additionally, game software platforms must now classify games based on users'' age. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has 15 days to approve the bill, after which it becomes law. In a televised speech, Erdogan claimed that certain digital sharing applications are corrupting children''s minds and criticized social media platforms as problematic. Australia was the first country to introduce a complete ban on social media for children under 16 in December 2025. The ban covers platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and X. Companies that do not follow the rules face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($35.3 million). Following Australia''s lead, several other countries have announced or passed similar restrictions. France''s National Assembly approved a law in January to ban children under 15 from social media, but it still needs Senate approval. Greece will ban access for children under 15 from January 2027. Denmark announced a ban for children under 15, with parental consent possible for those aged 13 and above. Spain will ban access for minors under 16 and require age-verification systems. Indonesia and Malaysia have restricted access for children under 16, with Indonesia gradually deactivating accounts on high-risk platforms. Brazil''s Digital Statute, effective March 2025, requires minors under 16 to link accounts to a legal guardian and bans addictive features like infinite scroll. In India, the state of Karnataka banned social media for children under 16 in March, and the national chief economic adviser called for age restrictions, describing platforms as ''predatory.'' The United Kingdom is considering an Australia-style ban and testing curfews and time limits in 300 households. The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution in November calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media and harmonized EU digital age limits. In response to this regulatory trend, Meta has announced updates to its Teen Accounts feature. These include a new Insights tab for parents in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Brazil that shows topics their teen has asked Meta AI about. The company also introduced a content filter based on 13+ movie ratings and default restrictions on following accounts that share age-inappropriate content. Meta acknowledged that no system is perfect and asked for continued parental feedback. However, child protection advocates argue that existing controls are still not enough. They point to official data from several European countries showing that many children under 13 have social media accounts. Furthermore, there are concerns about users bypassing restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs). After the UK''s Online Safety Act, Proton VPN reported a 1,400% hourly increase in new registrations, and NordVPN reported a 1,000% rise in subscriptions from UK users. In Australia, daily active VPN sessions peaked at 1.32 million after age restrictions were implemented.
Conclusion
The global regulatory environment for children''s social media access is changing quickly, with many countries introducing new laws. While governments increasingly see age-based restrictions as a necessary step, challenges remain. These include effective enforcement, privacy concerns related to mandatory age verification, and the possibility that users may find ways to bypass restrictions using technology. At the same time, technology companies are adapting their platforms to keep parents'' trust, but whether these measures are effective is still being debated.