Days after France’s lawmakers approved a bill to ban social media for under-15s, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged to shield Spanish children “from the digital Wild West,” proposing a ban for under-16s. Officials and experts point to hours of scrolling through harmful content that they say is rewiring young brains and contributing to anxiety and other health problems.
Paul O. Richter, an affiliate fellow at Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, told DW the focus on minors reflects their heightened risk of long-term harm during cognitive development, and cited research linking social media use to mental health issues. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also backed an EU-wide age limit, similar to Australia’s new law setting a 16-year threshold.
Which countries are considering bans?
– France: The bill banning under-15s must now pass the upper house of parliament.
– Spain: The Council of Ministers is expected to approve a ban for under-16s and add it to a draft bill in parliament. Sánchez said children are exposed to addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence online.
– Denmark: In late 2025, a multiparty agreement said access to some social platforms should be banned to protect children and young people; a law has not yet taken effect.
– Italy: A bill in parliament proposes restrictions for under-15s, including rules on child influencers.
– Greece: A senior official told Reuters the country is “very close” to a similar ban.
– Portugal: Legislation proposes parental consent for under-16s to access social media.
– Austria: Contemplating a ban.
– United Kingdom: Has opened a consultation process.
– European Parliament: In November, MEPs recommended a Europe-wide minimum age of 16, suggesting 13–16-year-olds could have access with parental consent.
Age verification and the EU Digital ID
One proposed mechanism for enforcing age limits is an EU-wide digital ID. Richter said such an ID could verify whether a user is above a certain age without revealing personal details like birth date, name or address, facilitating age restrictions without exposing private data.
But critics question how verification would work and whether personal information would be protected. Marc Damie, spokesperson for youth-led digital rights group ctrl+alt+reclaim, warned that details about verification systems are unclear and argued that bans risk being symbolic rather than solutions.
Will bans address the root causes?
Damie and others argue that bans won’t fix structural problems on platforms—features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling are designed to keep users engaged and can foster anxiety and addictive behaviors. “Addiction doesn’t stop at 15 or 16,” Damie said, questioning the effectiveness of a simple age cutoff.
Richter acknowledged gaps in research that make choosing an optimal age difficult. He noted some risks are particular to adolescent girls, such as harmful social comparisons, which could justify a higher age limit.
The EU’s role and the Digital Services Act
The EU has supported a digital age of majority but cautioned member states against undermining the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires platforms to mitigate systemic risks from algorithms and protect minors. Thomas Régnier, a Commission tech spokesperson, said the DSA and the Commission are the entities that can impose extra obligations on very large platforms.
Richter said member states are frustrated with perceived weak enforcement of EU rules on large, mostly US-based tech companies. The DSA demands that very large platforms change algorithms and platform design to reduce systemic risks and share data with researchers for independent study. In practice, Richter said, these changes and data-sharing have not meaningfully occurred, helping to fuel support for more restrictive national measures, including bans.
Industry reactions and political pushback
The debate has drawn outspoken responses from tech executives. Elon Musk, owner of platform X, called Spain’s prime minister “a tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain” after Sánchez announced plans for a children’s ban, and has framed regulatory efforts as threats to free speech online.
Calls for European alternatives
Some advocates say Europe should invest in homegrown social platforms that better align with EU regulations and values. “We are a hostage of big US companies,” Damie said, urging joint European investment in alternatives that would be more likely to comply with EU rules.
With countries moving at different speeds and the EU pushing rules that target platform design and accountability, the coming years will test whether bans, regulation, or a combination of approaches can stem online harms to children while addressing privacy, enforcement and the platforms’ business incentives.
Edited by: Carla Bleiker
