The European Parliament on Wednesday urged member states to adopt a minimum age of 16 for the use of social networks. Below is a summary of what European countries, Australia and technology companies have done to regulate children’s access to social media.
European Legislation
On November 26, the European Parliament passed a resolution recommending a minimum age of 16 on social media to ensure “age-appropriate participation.”
He also urged the establishment of a harmonized digital age limit in the EU of 13 years, below which no minor should access the platforms, and one of the same age for video-sharing services and “AI companions.”
The resolution is not legally binding and does not establish any public policy.
Self-regulation
Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat say users must be at least 13 years old to sign up. However, child protection advocates say monitoring is insufficient, and official data from several European countries shows that large numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts.
Australia
A law passed in November 2024 forces tech giants, from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok, to prevent minors from signing up or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32.1 million). A trial of methods to enforce the rule has been underway since January, and the ban will come into force from December 10.
Additional information: Technology companies begin to comply with Australian ban on social networks for teenagers
Belgium
In 2018, Belgium enacted a law requiring children to be at least 13 years old to create a social media account without parental permission.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom passed the Online Safety Act in 2023, which sets stricter rules for social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok – including appropriate age restrictions – and its implementation will come into force from 2025. However, it has not made progress in establishing a clear age limit for the use of social networks by minors.
France
In 2023, France passed a law requiring social networks to obtain parental consent so that minors under 15 years of age can create accounts. However, local media say that due to technical problems, it has not yet been implemented.
In April 2024, a group of experts commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron recommended stricter rules, including a ban on mobile phones for those under 11 and phones with internet connection for those under 13. It is unclear when the new legislation might be adopted or to what extent it would follow experts’ recommendations.
Germany
Officially, minors between 13 and 16 years old can only use social networks in Germany if their parents give consent. However, child protection advocates say the controls are insufficient and call for better enforcement of existing rules.I
Italia
In Italy, minors under 14 years of age need parental consent to register on social networks, while from that age it is not necessary.
Netherlands
While the Netherlands does not have any law on the minimum age for using social media, the Government banned mobile devices in classrooms from January 2024 to reduce distractions. There are exceptions for digital classes, medical needs or disabilities.
Norway
In October 2024, the Norwegian government proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the conditions required to use social media from 13 to 15, although parents would still be able to sign on their behalf if they are under that age.
The center-left government has also begun work on legislation to set an absolute minimum legal age limit of 15 for social media use, but it was not immediately clear when a law mandating it might reach parliament.
According to the Government, half of nine-year-old Norwegians use some type of social network.
With information from Reuters
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