Social Media Age Restrictions Expand Amid Growing Concerns
The United Kingdom has recently joined a growing list of countries implementing minimum age requirements for social media access, marking a significant development in global efforts to regulate online platforms. This move follows Australia's precedent set last year, which established age limits on major platforms such as Meta's Instagram and Facebook, Google's YouTube, Elon Musk's X, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Arturo Béjar, a former senior engineer and consultant at Meta, has engaged with parents worldwide who express a common apprehension about their children reaching the age to access social media. Béjar notes that parents universally fear the potential harms their children may encounter online, while many young people have already experienced adverse and preventable incidents.
“I’ve spoken to parents from several countries, and I have yet to meet a parent of young kids who is not dreading when they’re old enough to go online. Or a young person who has not experienced something awful and preventable,”
Béjar, aged 55, was a witness in a recent California trial that found Meta liable for intentionally designing addictive products and misleading consumers regarding platform safety. This trial received extensive media coverage, likely influencing policymakers worldwide to consider regulatory measures.
“They [social media platforms] keep showing the world why we can’t trust them,”
Meta has publicly disagreed with the court's verdicts and announced plans to appeal. The company emphasized that social media harms cannot be attributed to a single cause and reaffirmed its commitment to creating safe and supportive environments for young users.
Globally, public distrust in social media companies is prompting legislative action. Indonesia and Malaysia have enacted bans preventing users under 16 from accessing certain platforms. Austria, France, and Norway are evaluating similar age restrictions. Brazil has implemented a comprehensive mobile phone ban in schools, allowing children under 16 to use social media only if linked to a parent's account.
The UK aims to enforce its ban by spring 2027, while Canada plans to restrict under-16s from social media unless platforms adopt adequate safeguards. In contrast, the United States, home to many leading social media companies and with strong free speech protections under the First Amendment, shows no indication of federal-level age bans.
Outside the US, the debate over social media's impact on youth and appropriate regulatory responses appears to have decisively shifted. The UK government commissioned an independent academic panel to assess social media's effects on teenagers, which has produced nuanced findings. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has opted to proceed with regulatory measures.
A source from a technology company affected by the UK ban expressed frustration, noting that inconsistent safety efforts across the industry have contributed to what they perceive as hasty and overly stringent regulations.
“It’s hard to sell your safety measures to politicians when there is not enough consistency among your peers,”
“You’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater,”
the source added, referencing Australia's ban, which they argue has not incentivized safer platform design and has seen widespread circumvention.
Meanwhile, the technology sector, buoyed by substantial financial resources, continues to lobby against restrictive measures. In the European Union, tech companies invested approximately €150 million (£130 million) in lobbying efforts last year, marking a 33% increase over two years. Social media regulation remains a prominent topic, although artificial intelligence has been the primary focus in meetings with the European Commission. Meta led spending at €10 million.
One European Union lawmaker described the volume of communications from tech companies as a "bombardment" challenging social media age restrictions.
In the United States, companies are actively lobbying against the Kids Online Safety Act (Kosa), currently under Senate consideration. This legislation would require social media platforms to implement measures to prevent harms to children, including those related to compulsive platform use.
Meta is the highest spending tech lobbyist in the US, according to the advocacy group Issue One, maintaining one lobbyist for every six members of Congress. Between 2020 and 2024, big tech companies collectively spent a substantial sum on lobbying efforts. Regarding proposed amendments to Kosa that might grant tech firms immunity from lawsuits alleging child harm, Meta stated its preference for "uniform national standards for online youth safety."
Former US President Donald Trump's administration consistently criticized foreign tech regulations, including the UK's proposed social media age ban, describing such measures as "disproportionate." Given the complex political landscape, legal protections under the First Amendment, and the economic influence of tech companies, a similar ban appears unlikely in the US.
Darrell West, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a US think tank, commented on the regulatory outlook:
“State bans are not likely on a widespread basis,”
“At a federal level the possibility is low because too many legislators oppose government regulation of technology.”
Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation think tank, former TikTok executive, and adviser to two former UK prime ministers, suggested the UK's announcement represents a global "tipping point." He explained that legislative change typically follows a pattern of initial calls for reform, consultation, and eventual law enactment, often followed by a period of stability lasting five to ten years. However, he noted that populism has accelerated and extended this cycle.
“In an age of populism these companies are suffering criticism as well, not just mainstream politicians. Tech companies are losing public opinion and politicians are going to move on that.”
“A fundamental worry that tech companies have is that tech regulation is becoming a topic that’s driven by public sentiment rather than expert and evidence-led policymaking.”
Summarizing the findings of its expert panel, the UK government acknowledged the existence of "known harms" from social media, particularly affecting "high-risk" individuals, while also recognizing benefits. Despite this, the UK is among several countries concluding that the risks outweigh the benefits for users under 16.
“Young people deserve online spaces that are designed for them,”Béjar stated.
Patience with social media platforms appears to be diminishing globally. Increasingly, policymakers are adopting a straightforward approach to managing the interaction between teenagers and social media: imposing access restrictions.
