Global Legislative Momentum on Social Media Age Restrictions Intensifies with New Measures in Norway and Turkey

Apr 24, 2026, 12:36

Introduction

A growing number of national governments are enacting or proposing legislation to restrict social media access for minors, with Norway and Turkey the most recent jurisdictions to announce such measures. These actions reflect a widespread regulatory response to concerns about the impact of social media platforms on children''s mental health, safety, and development. Concurrently, technology companies such as Meta are attempting to mitigate regulatory pressure by introducing enhanced parental supervision tools.

Main Body

Norway’s minority Labour government announced on April 24 that it will present a bill to parliament by the end of 2026 to prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media. Under the proposal, technology companies would bear responsibility for verifying users’ ages at login, with enforcement mechanisms linked to the EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store stated that the legislation aims to prevent childhood from being dominated by algorithms and screens. The government previously considered a 15-year age limit based on date of birth but opted for a stricter, uniform system to avoid social divisions within school classes. Norway’s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that delegating age verification to private companies could undermine user privacy. Official figures from Norway’s media regulator indicate that 51% of children aged 9–10 and 74% of those aged 11–12 were active on social platforms in 2026, despite a current minimum age of 13. Turkey’s parliament passed a bill on April 23 that includes restricting social media access for children under the age of 15. The legislation mandates that platforms implement age-verification systems and create secure digital spaces for minors, with controlled use encouraged. It also requires platforms with a high number of users to appoint a representative in Turkey and brings game software platforms under the regulatory scope, obliging them to classify games based on users’ age criteria. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has 15 days to approve the bill, after which it becomes law. In a televised address, Erdogan characterized certain digital sharing applications as corrupting children’s minds and described social media platforms as problematic. Australia became the first country to implement a comprehensive ban on social media for children under 16 in December 2025, covering platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and X. Non-compliant companies face penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($35.3 million). Following Australia’s lead, several other nations have announced or enacted similar restrictions. France’s National Assembly approved legislation in January to ban children under 15 from social media, pending 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 the regulatory trend, Meta has announced updates to its Teen Accounts proposition, including 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 inspired by 13+ movie ratings and default restrictions on following accounts that share age-inappropriate content. Meta acknowledged that no system is perfect and requested continued parental feedback. However, child protection advocates argue that existing controls remain insufficient, noting that official data in several European countries shows large numbers of children under 13 maintain social media accounts. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the potential for circumvention via virtual private networks (VPNs). Following 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 landscape for children’s social media access is undergoing rapid transformation, with legislative momentum building across multiple jurisdictions. While governments increasingly view age-based restrictions as a necessary intervention, challenges persist regarding effective enforcement, privacy implications of mandatory age verification, and the potential for users to circumvent restrictions through technological means. Technology companies are simultaneously adapting their platforms to retain parental trust, though the efficacy of these measures remains subject to ongoing debate.

Vocabulary Learning

circumvention
The act of avoiding or bypassing a rule, law, or restriction, often through clever or deceptive means.規避（規則、法律或限制的行為，通常通過巧妙或欺騙性的手段）
Example:Additionally, concerns have been raised about the potential for circumvention via virtual private networks (VPNs).
delegating
Entrusting a task or responsibility to another person or entity, often with authority to act on one's behalf.委託（將任務或責任交給另一個人或實體，通常賦予其代表行動的權力）
Example:Norway’s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that delegating age verification to private companies could undermine user privacy.
efficacy
The ability to produce a desired or intended result; effectiveness.功效；效力（產生預期結果的能力；有效性）
Example:Technology companies are simultaneously adapting their platforms to retain parental trust, though the efficacy of these measures remains subject to ongoing debate.
mitigate
To make less severe, serious, or painful; to reduce the impact or intensity of something negative.減輕；緩和（使不那麼嚴重、嚴峻或痛苦；降低負面影響或強度）
Example:Concurrently, technology companies such as Meta are attempting to mitigate regulatory pressure by introducing enhanced parental supervision tools.
predatory
Characterized by exploiting or preying on others, especially vulnerable groups, for gain; in this context, describing social media platforms as harmful and exploitative toward children.掠奪性的；以剝削或捕食他人（尤其是弱勢群體）為特徵的；此處指社交媒體平台對兒童有害且具剝削性。
Example: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.”

Sentence Learning

Under the proposal, technology companies would bear responsibility for verifying users’ ages at login, with enforcement mechanisms linked to the EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework.
Main clause: 'technology companies would bear responsibility for verifying users’ ages at login' (conditional 'would' indicates hypothetical obligation). Subordinate participial phrase: 'with enforcement mechanisms linked to the EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework' (absolute construction providing additional detail). Lexical density: 'EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework' is a compound noun phrase.主句：「technology companies would bear responsibility for verifying users’ ages at login」（條件式「would」表示假設性責任）。從屬分詞短語：「with enforcement mechanisms linked to the EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework」（獨立結構提供附加細節）。詞彙密度：「EU-inspired Digital Services Act framework」為複合名詞短語。
The legislation mandates that platforms implement age-verification systems and create secure digital spaces for minors, with controlled use encouraged.
Main clause: 'The legislation mandates that platforms implement... and create...' (mandative subjunctive: 'mandates that' requires bare infinitive 'implement' and 'create'). Participial phrase: 'with controlled use encouraged' (absolute construction indicating accompanying circumstance). Parallel structure: 'implement... and create...' coordinates two verb phrases.主句：「The legislation mandates that platforms implement... and create...」（命令式虛擬語氣：「mandates that」後接不帶to的不定式「implement」和「create」）。分詞短語：「with controlled use encouraged」（獨立結構表示伴隨情況）。並列結構：「implement... and create...」協調兩個動詞短語。
However, child protection advocates argue that existing controls remain insufficient, noting that official data in several European countries shows large numbers of children under 13 maintain social media accounts.
Main clause: 'child protection advocates argue that...' (verb 'argue' followed by a 'that' clause). Embedded 'that' clause: 'existing controls remain insufficient'. Participial phrase: 'noting that...' (reduced relative clause modifying the subject, providing supporting evidence). Further embedded 'that' clause: 'official data... shows large numbers... maintain...' (complex noun phrase 'large numbers of children under 13' as subject of 'maintain').主句：「child protection advocates argue that...」（動詞「argue」後接「that」從句）。內嵌「that」從句：「existing controls remain insufficient」。分詞短語：「noting that...」（縮減關係從句修飾主語，提供支持證據）。進一步內嵌「that」從句：「official data... shows large numbers... maintain...」（複雜名詞短語「large numbers of children under 13」作為「maintain」的主語）。
While governments increasingly view age-based restrictions as a necessary intervention, challenges persist regarding effective enforcement, privacy implications of mandatory age verification, and the potential for users to circumvent restrictions through technological means.
Concessive subordinate clause: 'While governments increasingly view age-based restrictions as a necessary intervention' (introduces contrast). Main clause: 'challenges persist regarding...' (verb 'persist' followed by a complex prepositional phrase). List of three noun phrases: 'effective enforcement', 'privacy implications of mandatory age verification', 'the potential for users to circumvent restrictions through technological means' (each with premodification and postmodification).讓步從句：「While governments increasingly view age-based restrictions as a necessary intervention」（引入對比）。主句：「challenges persist regarding...」（動詞「persist」後接複雜介詞短語）。三個名詞短語列表：「effective enforcement」、「privacy implications of mandatory age verification」、「the potential for users to circumvent restrictions through technological means」（每個都有前置和後置修飾）。
Norway’s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that delegating age verification to private companies could undermine user privacy.
Main clause: 'Norway’s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that...' (verb 'expressed' followed by a noun and a 'that' clause). Subordinate 'that' clause: 'delegating age verification to private companies could undermine user privacy' (gerund phrase 'delegating...' as subject, modal 'could' indicates possibility).主句：「Norway’s Data Protection Authority has expressed concerns that...」（動詞「expressed」後接名詞和「that」從句）。從屬「that」從句：「delegating age verification to private companies could undermine user privacy」（動名詞短語「delegating...」作為主語，情態動詞「could」表示可能性）。