Will the EU ban social media for children as early as 2026? Brussels observes the "Australian experiment"

The European Union is discussing the possibility of stricter restrictions on children's access to social networks - up to the pan-European age threshold, Techxplore writes.

The discussion was prompted by the experience of Australia, where a ban on social networks for users under 16 came into force: Brussels is closely watching how enforceable and sustainable it will be, given the legal disputes surrounding the initiative.

Against this background, France has decided not to wait for a pan-European solution and is promoting its own ban. According to foreign media, the lower house of the French parliament has approved a bill that would ban the use of social networks by children under the age of 15; the document must then pass the Senate. The publications also sound a benchmark for the launch of new rules with the start of the school year in September 2026.

In parallel, the Digital Services Act (DSA), a "hard framework" already in place at the EU level, bans targeted advertising to children and gives regulators the tools to require platforms to make changes to protect minors. At the same time, the European Commission is investigating major platforms: TikTok, for example, is being scrutinised on the issues of protection of minors, "addictive" design and risks associated with recommendation algorithms.

However, proponents of a more radical approach believe that DSA rules alone are not enough. In the European Parliament, there have previously been calls for a "digital minimum age" (16 years old in some proposals, and access for teenagers 13-16 only with parental consent).

The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen publicly spoke in favour of the idea of "digital adulthood" and announced the creation of an expert panel to propose options for further steps to protect children on social networks. According to media reports, the launch of such a consultative format is expected in early 2026.

A separate practical direction is age verification. The European Commission has already published a "blueprint" (technical scheme) for age verification solutions and improved its version to make it easier for platforms and states to implement compatible, more "private" age-verification mechanisms. Several EU countries are testing approaches to such tools, hoping to use them as a basis for future restrictions - national or pan-European.

The bottom line at the moment: there is no EU-wide ban on social networks for children in 2026, but the discussion has accelerated on two tracks at once - political (the idea of a single age) and regulatory and technical (DSA studies and age verification). The decision will depend on the conclusions of the European Commission experts, the results of the current checks of the platforms and how the Australian model proves itself in practice.