Social Media Ban: Country & Platform Tracker (2026)
Every country's status and every named platform's stance in one place. Only Australia and Malaysia have an in-force under-16 ban today — everyone else is passed-but-not-yet-live, actively proposing, or building out a framework. Platforms are covered under Australia's world-first law; the ones marked "outside" are where a lot of kids' real online life continues.
Country tracker
Only Australia and Malaysia are actually enforcing an under-16 ban right now. The UK, France and the UAE have passed theirs but they don't take effect until 2026–27. Everyone else is proposing, drafting or still working out the framework.
| Country | Status | Min age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | In force | 16 | World-first national account ban, live 10 Dec 2025. 10 platforms. Fines up to ~A$49.5M, govt moving to ~A$99M. No parental consent. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ |
| Malaysia | In force | 16 | Enforcement from 1 Jun 2026 via the Online Safety Act 2025; platforms with 8M+ Malaysian users. · Malay Mail ↗ |
| United Kingdom | Passed | 16 | Powers passed (Children's Wellbeing & Schools Act 2026); ban due Spring 2027. Online Safety Act age-assurance duties already live. · GOV.UK ↗ |
| France | Passed | 15 | Passed Jan 2026; takes effect Sept 2026 — reject new under-15 users, remove existing. · PBS NewsHour ↗ |
| Spain | Proposing | 16 | Draft law (Feb 2026); mandatory age verification; in parliamentary scrutiny. · CNN ↗ |
| Norway | Proposing | 16 | Bill 2026; platforms responsible for age verification; likely not before 2027. · Norwegian Government (regjeringen.no) ↗ |
| Denmark | Proposing | 15 | Under-15 rule (announced Nov 2025); under-13s allowed only with parental permission. · The Copenhagen Post ↗ |
| Italy | Proposing | 15 | Under-15 with parental consent; still in draft. · Euronews ↗ |
| European Union | Framework only | — | No bloc-wide ban. Age-assurance via the DSA + an EU age-verification app (pilots in DK/FR/GR/IT/ES). · European Commission ↗ |
| United States | Patchwork | varies | No national ban. 20+ state laws (Utah, Florida under-14, Texas SCOPE, app-store acts), most tied up in court. KIDS Act passed the House June 2026, stalled in the Senate. · Congress.gov (CRS) ↗ |
| United Arab Emirates | Passed | 15 | Reported first Arab nation to set a social-media minimum age with verification. · U.S. News/Reuters ↗ |
Platform tracker
Who's covered by the Australian ban, what they're actually doing, and where they stand.
| Platform | In the AU ban? | What they're doing | Stance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram / Facebook / Threads (Meta) | Covered | Rolled out Teen Accounts globally (default private, restricted DMs); removing under-16 AU accounts with AI age-estimation. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Complying under protest; under AU court-action scrutiny. |
| TikTok | Covered | Removing under-16 AU accounts; age-estimation tech. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Complying; flagged for enforcement gaps. |
| Snapchat | Covered | Says it locked ~415,000 AU accounts and counting. · France 24 ↗ | Complying; under scrutiny. |
| YouTube | Covered | Fought its inclusion, then included. Runs age-estimation in AU/UK/US/EU. NOTE: logged-out viewing of public videos is still possible. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Reluctant; contested inclusion. |
| X (Twitter) | Covered | Age-restricted under AU law. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Quiet / limited compliance. |
| Covered | Age verification being deployed. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Complying where mandated. | |
| Twitch | Covered | Age-restricted under AU law. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Complying. |
| Kick | Covered | The one platform that actually refused test accounts in age-check studies. · NBC News ↗ | Strictest checker so far. |
| Discord | Outside the ban | NOT in the AU ban, but rolling out age assurance (video-selfie/ID) under UK pressure. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Outside the ban — parents beware. |
| Roblox | Outside the ban | NOT in the AU ban. Rolled out facial age-estimation (Jan 2026) gating chat/trade. · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Outside the ban — huge with kids. |
| WhatsApp / Messenger | Outside the ban | NOT in the AU ban (private messaging). · eSafety Commissioner ↗ | Outside the ban. |
FAQ
What apps are banned for under-16s in Australia?+
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Twitch, Kick and Threads.
Is WhatsApp in the social media ban?+
No — WhatsApp (private messaging) is outside the ban.
Is YouTube in the social media ban?+
Yes — YouTube is one of the 10 covered platforms (note: logged-out viewing of public videos is still possible).
The tracker is the news. Your settings are the shield.
No matter which country you're in, the platforms that aren't in the ban still live on your kid's phone. That's why the members-area plan starts at the device.
Go deeper
Keep reading
The Social Media Ban Explained
The worldwide overview, the honest bit, and where to start.
Read articleShould Kids Be on Social Media?
The research, the age question and what to do if your teen is already on it.
Read articleImpact on the US & UK
State laws, the KIDS Act, the UK Online Safety Act and Spring 2027.
Read articleApp & Game Safety Scoreboard
Plain-English verdicts and practical settings for the platforms kids use.
Read article