Initiatives to block social media are spreading across Europe and Asia, turning into an international regulatory wave.
What started as an “experiment” last year is now evolving into , which attempt to address concerns about teenage mental health and screen addiction.
Australia led the way
Australia in December became the first country to block access to under-16s, forcing platforms such as Meta Platforms, ByteDance (TikTok’s parent) and YouTube to disable millions of teen accounts.
Since then, France has initially approved a ban on users under 15, Spain is planning a limit of 16, while government officials in Germany and .
India is already considering age limits and measures against deepfakes while consultations are underway with companies on age filters.
In the United States, Florida already implements a ban on social media use for children under 14, while states such as California and New York have enacted mandatory warnings about the potential dangers of the apps to minors.
about the potential impact of their applications on adolescent mental health. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has defended the company’s practices under oath, rejecting the claim that the goal is to “addict” users or attract children.
Algorithms, addiction and political conflict
At the heart of the controversy are the algorithms that adapt the content to the user’s preferences, as well as the endless flow of short-form videos, which – according to critics – reinforces anxiety, depression and sleep problems in teenagers. Surveys in the US and Europe show that daily use is almost universal: in France, 93% of high school students have a social media account, while in the US, about one in five teenagers say they are “almost constantly” online.
Tech companies and digital rights groups argue that horizontal age limits are “blunt tools” that may backfire, pushing children onto smaller and less secure platforms or online games with chat features. They also argue that a causal relationship between social media and worsening mental health has not been proven.
Despite the opposition, many politicians see the bans as an “easy win” as they garner broad support from parents across the political spectrum. The question of age restrictions is thus developing into a central field of conflict between governments and technological giants for the future of the digital life of teenagers.
What is happening in Greece?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentioned the benefits but also the risks of artificial intelligence during his intervention at the “AI Impact Summit” held in New Delhi.
“We should protect young people from digital addiction and this is a matter of priority. I stand in solidarity with France, which proceeded to ban access of teenagers to social networks,” he said characteristically.
of social media for children under 15, according to a senior government source who spoke to Reuters in early February.
In fact, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had reported in September at the UN General Assembly that Greece is seriously considering the possibility of banning social media for minors, underlining that this would require legislative intervention.
Macron initiative from the AI Impact Summit
Shielding minors against digital risks is emerging as a central priority of the upcoming French presidency of the G7, with Emmanuel Macron leading an international initiative to limit the exposure of children and teenagers to social media and Artificial Intelligence.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, the French president gave a moral dimension to the issue, underlining that “whatever is illegal in the physical world must also be prohibited in the digital world”.
Narendra Modi, to join a scheme of countries to promote a strict regulatory framework to protect minors, with the Indian leader appearing positive to the proposal.
At the same time, the French president left clear points against the approach that favors absolute freedom of speech on digital platforms, characterizing as “nonsense” its appeal as an argument to avoid regulation. The petition was interpreted as an indirect criticism of Donald Trump, who has advocated minimal government intervention, even in matters related to the protection of minors from abusive or addictive content.
*With information from The Wall Street Journal
