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Dual jury verdicts this week have validated longstanding concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. But the U.S. lacks federal regulation that meaningfully addresses these harms.
On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. A day earlier in New Mexico, a jury determined that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
Although parents and children’s advocates cheered the decisions, they argue that without federal regulation to rein in the companies, platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok are unlikely to implement any meaningful change. Many are pinning their hopes on the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill aimed at protecting kids from the harms of social media, gaming sites and other online platforms. It won Senate approval in 2024 but has lingered since.
Other countries, meanwhile, have implemented — or are planning — a bevy of restrictions on children’s online activities, ranging from social media bans to requiring younger teens to link their accounts to a parent’s. Here’s a look at how countries outside the United States are regulating kids and technology.
Australia bans kids under 16 from social media
In 2024, Australia became the first country to kick kids under 16 off social media. The law makes platforms — including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram — liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($34 million) if they fail to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. While many parents have cheered the move, some experts have questioned the efficacy of their age estimation methods (the platforms are not required to ask users for government-issued IDs) and their effects on young people’s free speech, social connections and privacy. Critics also fear that the ban will impact the privacy of all users who must prove they are older than 16.
Brazil requires supervision and restricts the infinite scroll
A Brazilian law that seeks to shield minors from addictive, violent and pornographic online content took effect this month, with experts calling it a milestone in the protection of children and adolescents.
Under the new law, children under 16 are required to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian to ensure supervision. The legislation also prohibits platforms from using addictive features, such as infinite scroll and the automatic play of videos. Digital services are also required to implement an effective age verification mechanism that goes beyond self-declaration.
Indonesia plans under-16 social media ban
Following in Australia’s footsteps Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16 beginning this month.
The regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on “high-risk” digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
The implementation will start gradually from March 28 until all platforms comply.
Indonesia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict the access of children to social media.
Malaysia restricts young teens, tightens digital rules
Since January 2025, major social media and messaging platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia are required to obtain a license as part of a broader tightening of state oversight over digital platforms. Licensed platforms must implement age verification, content-safety measures and transparency rules, reflecting the government’s push for a safer digital space. The country also plans to ban kids under 16 from social media beginning this year.
Europe and the UK look into limits
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced in February that the country plans to limit social media access for children under 16, in a move designed to shield young people from the harms of online content.
In January, France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to take effect at the start of the next school year in September. The bill would also ban the use of mobile phones in high schools. The French government had previously passed a law banning the use of phones in all primary and middle schools.
Denmark has introduced similar legislation to ban access to social media for users under 15, while the United Kingdom said last month it would consider banning young teenagers from social media, as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.
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