Which countries have banned social media for kids?

Social media bans for kids are quickly becoming the global legislation trend of the moment.

Children under 16 are finding themselves at the center of political conversations, with countries including Australia , the UK , Canada , Brazil , Austria , and Indonesia , and more attempting to wrangle Big Tech companies' hold on young people's attention.

SEE ALSO: Australia's kid social media ban is ineffective, study suggests Online age verification laws are taking shape by the month, with governments citing the need to address issues including child sexual exploitation , cyberbullying , self-harm , and the impact on kids' mental health , as well as "addictive" design, violent content , and porn .

However, these laws have also come under severe criticism for efficiency and their impact on digital privacy and free speech .

Plus, kids are already finding ways around them.

So, where are we at, globally? Which countries have followed Australia's example and are rolling out their own social media bans? Here's the list, alphabetically, and incidentally starting with the one who started it all.

Australia The first to do it, Australia set a global precedent in Dec.

2025 with its world-first social media ban for children under 16 .

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act requires social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and Snapchat to implement age verification and take "reasonable steps" to prevent kids under 16 from creating accounts.

However, a July 2026 study by Australian government advisors found the ban so far ineffective .

Plus, Reddit is suing .

Austria Following in Australia's footsteps with fewer letters, in March 2026, Austria announced a bill to ban social media use for children under 14.

With a draft planned for completion by summer , Austria's legislation would also add a new compulsory subject, "Media and Democracy," to school curriculums to boost awareness of "how to recognise disinformation and radicalisation." Brazil Brazil's social media ban , the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents , came into force in March 2026.

The law requires kids under 16 to link their social media accounts with a legal guardian, and tech platforms must add age verification for users wanting to access adult content.