At the national level, Denmark has announced a ban for children under 15 (with exceptions with parental permission up to 13 years old), France has passed a draft law banning minors under 15, while Spain will ban access for anyone under 16 and require age verification from platforms. The EU is considering methods for age verification, but the experiences from Australia are considered essential to assess the long-term impact of these bans.
European countries are increasing pressure on social media companies, responding to public concerns about child safety but risking a clash with the United States, where companies like Facebook and Elon Musk’s X platform are based.
Spain on Tuesday ordered prosecutors to investigate Meta, X and TikTok for allegedly distributing artificially intelligent child sexual images, following a similar move in Britain. Ireland has also opened a formal investigation into X’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, over how it processes personal data and produces harmful sexual images. A growing number of European countries, including France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, have in recent weeks followed Australia’s lead by proposing bans on social media for teenagers, amid growing concerns about addiction, online abuse and poor school performance. Germany and Britain are considering similar measures.
PEDRO SANCHEZ: “Our children today are exposed to a space that they were never meant to face alone. A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence; we will no longer accept this. We will protect them from the digital ‘Wild West’.”
These national actions reflect political urgency, but also frustration with the European Union. Politicians, advisers and analysts say governments are acting alone because they doubt Brussels will act quickly or strongly enough, even though individual states face the same legal, diplomatic and enforcement challenges as the EU.
FRANCESCA PISANU: “We know that the European Commission is looking at ways to introduce age verification measures, and this is very important, and it is directly related to the impact of these restrictions. We also need to see the conclusions from Australia. Unfortunately, we do not have the final results yet. It is also important to note that this impact will not be seen immediately. We are talking about very important societal changes. So we also need to analyse the long-term impact. So it is difficult to say exactly how this ban will be implemented. Age verification is definitely a key component. Strong legislation for children who will continue to have access is also an important part.”
Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which came into force in 2024, major platforms could face fines of up to 6% of their annual global turnover if they fail to restrict illegal or harmful content. But enforcing those penalties is politically sensitive. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened tariffs and sanctions if EU countries impose new tech taxes or implement the DSA in ways that harm US companies.
The European Commission rejects suggestions that it is soft on US tech giants, stressing that it has opened several investigations, including into X and the use of Grok.
“Through measures like DSA, the EU is shaping Europe’s digital future. It is supporting, financing and regulating new technologies with the aim of strengthening democracy,” a statement said.
FRANCESCA PISANU: “Children’s rights are a major priority for the European Union, and the EU already has a strong framework when it comes to protecting them in the digital environment. At EU level, we had the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which protects children’s data, and then in 2022 the Digital Services Act was discussed. This also aims to ensure a high level of privacy and security for children. It is therefore no surprise that the EU is very concerned about the potential harm of social networks to children and wants to take concrete steps.”
The rhetoric has sometimes escalated. French President Emmanuel Macron last year called American resistance to European rules a “geopolitical battle.”
EMMANUEL MACRON: “Because the brains of our children are not for sale. Neither for American platforms nor for Chinese networks. Because their dreams cannot be dictated by algorithms. Because we do not want a generation of anxieties, but a generation that believes in France, in the Republic and in its values. France, a pioneer in platform regulation since 2018, continues to lead today, becoming the first country in Europe to commit to this direction. On September 1, our children and adolescents will finally be protected…”.
The Trump administration warned in December that Europe risks “civilizational extinction” and called on the US to foster “resistance to Europe’s current direction.” Spanish consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy said the move aims to “liberate ourselves from digital dependence on the United States,” adding that some platforms are being used to “destabilize European democracies from within.”
Why are bans being considered now? Francesca Pisanu of Eurochild said the “starting point” was Australia. Australia passed a law on November 28, 2024, to ban social media for children under 16, after heated debates, setting a standard that is being followed by other countries in the global effort to limit the power of big tech companies. Anthony Albanese: “This is a game-changer. It is Australia that is showing that it is time to say enough. And the world, as I see, including some of the big global media organizations that are here, is watching and following our lead.”
FRANCESCA PISANU: “The turning point was definitely related to the ban on social media in Australia, because it really pushed the discussion on this issue. Maybe it hadn’t been considered before. What we do know is that in September 2025 this was also mentioned in the State of the Union address. This is the address that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, gives every September to set out the priorities of the European Commission. And there was a clear reference to the need to protect children, and she stressed that algorithms cannot raise our children.”
According to Pisanu, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is seeking advice from experts, while the European Parliament has adopted a report highlighting concerns about children’s rights in the digital environment and calling for a ban on social networks for those under 16.
FRANCESCA PISANU: “Ursula von der Leyen talked about setting up an expert panel. And we know that people have already been appointed to advise her on whether to restrict the use of social networks for children. At the same time, the European Parliament adopted a report that clearly expresses concerns about children’s rights in the digital environment and calls for a ban on access to social networks for children under 16. Other options are also being discussed at national level. For example, in Denmark and France, we know that there are exceptions for those under 16, if they have the consent of their parents or guardians.”
At the national level, Denmark has announced a ban for children under 15 (with exceptions with parental permission up to 13 years old), France has passed a draft law banning minors under 15, while Spain will ban access for anyone under 16 and require age verification from platforms. The EU is considering methods for age verification, but the experiences from Australia are considered essential to assess the long-term impact of these bans. (Euronews.eu)