Europe Moves to Restrict Social Media Access for Minors

(MENAFN) A sweeping legislative wave is reshaping the digital landscape for young people across Europe, as governments from Athens to Paris race to restrict minors' access to social media platforms — citing mounting scientific evidence of harm to youth mental health and well-being.

From age verification mandates to outright bans, the emerging consensus across the continent is unambiguous: technology companies must bear greater responsibility, and children must be better protected from platforms critics say are engineered for addiction.

Greece is among the most recent countries to act decisively. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced Wednesday that children under 15 will be barred from social media entirely beginning January 2027, citing documented links between platform use and anxiety, sleep disruption, and addictive design. Mitsotakis has gone further, pushing for a continent-wide age verification system, arguing that individual national laws are insufficient in a borderless digital environment.

France is pursuing a parallel course, though at a more accelerated pace. Legislators have already approved draft measures to ban social media for users under 15, with the two parliamentary chambers still negotiating final terms. President Emmanuel Macron has set a September deadline — the start of the next school year — for restrictions to take effect, paired with enhanced limits on smartphone use in schools.

Spain's government has proposed the most stringent threshold yet. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for a blanket ban covering anyone under 16, characterizing the current online environment as a "digital Wild West." Madrid's proposals also target the proliferation of non-consensual AI-generated content, with new legislation on platforms' age verification obligations expected to follow.

Elsewhere on the continent, Austria is moving to prevent children under 14 from creating social media accounts altogether, while Portugal has already enacted rules mandating parental consent for users under 16.

Several other European nations are advancing comparable measures. Ireland's government is preparing to embed an age restriction into its forthcoming Digital and Artificial Intelligence Strategy, currently under cabinet review. According to a public broadcaster, draft legislation would prohibit social media use for children under 16, with a strong emphasis on online safety standards.

Poland is pursuing a related but distinct path. Authorities have announced a ban on cellphone use in schools for students under 16, set to take effect September 1. Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said the measure positions Poland among nations actively working to curtail children's screen time and social media exposure. Public broadcaster TVP World reported the policy forms part of a wider legislative overhaul described as pivotal for the country's education system.

Germany and Italy have moved more cautiously. Both countries already require parental permission for younger users, though debates over whether tougher enforcement is necessary remain unresolved. A German government-commissioned panel is expected to release formal proposals before year's end.

In Denmark and Slovenia, similar restrictions are under active consideration. The UK, meanwhile, has launched a pilot program involving roughly 300 teenagers, examining the effect of interventions such as daily screen time caps, app-level restrictions, and nighttime curfews on overall well-being. Officials say the results will inform future policy decisions.

At the institutional level, the European Parliament has thrown its weight behind a minimum access age of 16 for independent social media use, while permitting younger teens to participate with parental consent. Lawmakers have also flagged features such as infinite scrolling as deliberate mechanisms designed to maximize time on platform — a practice they argue demands urgent regulatory attention.

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