On June 15, 2026, speaking from Downing Street, British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a complete ban on social media access for all children under the age of 16. The measure is set to be approved by Christmas and take effect in early 2027. The ban will apply to major platforms— Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X— while instant messaging services such as WhatsApp will remain accessible. “I am not willing to stand by and watch when the safety and happiness of our children are at stake,” Starmer said.
In the preceding months, the British government had already conducted a three-month trial to assess the effectiveness of potential restrictive measures, and had announced its intention to introduce a “nighttime digital curfew” for those under 18 after 8:30 p.m. and a minimum age limit of 18 for access to chatbots with romantic or erotic simulation features.
The wave that started in Australia
London is just the latest link in a chain. On December 10, 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to enact a strict law banning minors under the age of 16 from accessing social media. The law requires platforms to implement age verification systems based on biometrics or identification documents, with penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for noncompliance. Within just thirty days of the law taking effect, the country’s internet regulator had already removed 4.7 million accounts belonging to users under 16.
Since then, according to the website “Punto Informatico,” 14 countries have either banned or are considering banning social media for minors. In addition to the United Kingdom, Canada is preparing to debatethe “Safe Social Media Act”; France passed a bill in January 2026 banning social media for those under 15; Greece has set the age limit at 15. Norway, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark are also following suit. At the European level, the Parliament voted 483 in favor of setting the minimum age for access at 16, although the resolution is not legally binding.
Why this tightening?
The rationale behind these measures centers on three areas: adolescents’ mental health, addiction driven by algorithms, and the risks of cyberbullying. Proponents of restrictive laws, from Starmer to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speak of algorithms that “exploit children’s vulnerabilities with the explicit aim of creating addiction.” The “infinite scroll” mechanism is cited as one of the main culprits.
There is no shortage of criticism. Major tech platforms have reacted strongly to the British announcement: a YouTube spokesperson highlighted the risk that bans could drive young people toward less regulated and more dangerous corners of the web. Some experts also raise the issue of privacy: age verification systems based on biometrics or documents pose serious problems regarding the collection and storage of personal data.
Italy: Lots of Proposals, Little Action
In an international comparison, Italy appears to be lagging behind. Current legislation—Legislative Decree 101/2018—sets the minimum age for signing up for social media at 14, but relies on the user’s self-declaration, a measure that anyone can circumvent with a single click.
The most advanced bipartisan bill, sponsored by Senator Lavinia Mennuni of Fratelli d’Italia with 22 co-sponsors and the support of the opposition, has been stalled in the Senate’s Eighth Standing Committee since October 2025: more than eight months of deadlock. The bill would prohibit children under 15 from creating social media accounts, require age verification through a system similar to a national digital mini-ID, and render contracts entered into by children under 15 null and void. At the same time, the Lega has proposed its own bill setting the age limit at 14, which would allow children between the ages of 14 and 16 to sign up only with parental consent. Education Minister Valditara has, in turn, announced a plan to ban social media for those under 15, but the initiative has not yet been translated into a concrete bill.
Parliamentary proceedings are set to resume this week, partly in response to the British announcement and the class-action lawsuit filed by MOIGE seeking compensation from Meta for failing to comply with restrictions on minors’ registration. Codacons has already called on the government to follow London’s example.
The Issue of Age Verification
Beyond age thresholds, the central issue remains that of verification: how can we truly verify the age of those who sign up? “Asking how old you are isn’t enough,” Senator Mennuni herself acknowledged. Australia has experimented with facial biometrics and decentralized tools that avoid storing complete identifying data. The European Union is focusing on the European Digital Wallet, which is expected to be operational by 2026 and will allow users to verify their age without revealing additional personal information. In Italy, a similar proposal is included in the Mennuni bill, but it remains only on paper.
Six months after the law took effect, the Australian experience shows only partial results: some accounts belonging to minors are still active. The regulator acknowledged that it is “too early” for a definitive assessment, but emphasized that the success of these laws is not measured by the elimination of violations, but rather by the reduction of harm and a shift in cultural norms.
