More and more countries are banning social media platforms for minors

Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026

Delfi

Experts call for urgent legal action and age restrictions on social media to protect children online.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Experts and government officials are calling for stronger regulations to make digital platforms safer, particularly for minors. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans to restrict social media use for those under 16 and hold platform operators legally accountable for content violations, including implementing systems to detect “hate and polarization traces.” Internationally, countries like Australia have already banned social media for children under 16, while France is considering a ban for those under 15. In Lithuania, experts argue that the legal framework is outdated and insufficient, advocating for age restrictions (suggested at 15-16 for platform access and 13 for smart device use) based on risks like addiction, abuse, and misinformation. Experts stress that while public education is important, it must be supplemented by mandatory institutional changes and greater responsibility from tech platforms to protect children’s privacy and prevent harmful content.

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