The European Commission’s expert committee will submit recommendations on Monday for a potential EU-wide ban on social media for children, a move that would add the 27-nation bloc to a rapidly expanding list of governments acting on the issue. According to an AFP tally cited by multiple outlets, more than 20 countries have either imposed, announced or are considering such restrictions, most targeting those under 15 or 16 years old. This wave of regulatory activity reflects a broad political concern over the mental health effects of platforms, but has also ignited a contest between outright prohibition and blended approaches combining age limits with digital education.

National models vary sharply. Australia, the first to enact a blanket ban for under-16s in December 2025, places the onus on platforms to enforce age checks, a principle echoed by its eSafety regulator. Brazil, in contrast, passed a law in March requiring under-16 accounts to be linked to those of parents rather than imposing a total blackout. China’s state-controlled internet enforces time limits and curfews, extended from gaming to social media in 2023. Within Europe, the picture is fragmented: Greece, Austria and Slovenia are advancing national laws, while Germany’s expert commission has proposed either age-graded bans or platform-specific curbs. The UK and Norway are preparing bills for 2027, and France’s parliament is debating a ban for under-15s, though the Senate has narrowed it to the “most harmful” platforms, raising compatibility concerns in Brussels.

Early assessments of the Australian experience, according to analysts and media reports, suggest that technical enforcement has encountered difficulties, including circumvention by teenagers and unresolved questions about data collection for age verification. The Australian debate, as noted by Brazilian commentators, mirrors dilemmas elsewhere: how to block access without expanding surveillance, and how to prevent youth migration to less regulated spaces. These findings are feeding into policy discussions in Europe and the Americas, where lawmakers are weighing whether prohibition alone can succeed without parallel emphasis on digital literacy, parental controls and algorithmic transparency.

The EU expert report is expected to frame the options for harmonised action, but several member states have indicated they will proceed regardless. Ireland has warned it may legislate unilaterally if no bloc-wide decision emerges. In Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia have already enforced bans, Turkey is set to follow in late 2026, and the UAE’s ban is due next year. As national capitals push ahead, the debate is shifting from whether to restrict children’s access to how to do so effectively, with votes and final legislative texts expected in France, Italy, Spain and other countries in the coming months.