Strategic Intelligence: Deep Dive into Social Media Age Restrictions

Strategic Intelligence: Deep Dive into Social Media Age Restrictions

Summary

In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban children from accessing major social media platforms. It was a landmark move in the growing global push for stronger social media age restrictions, including bans and measures to make platforms safer by design, driven by concerns about children’s online safety and well-being.

Key Highlights

• The global regulatory landscape is evolving rapidly and remains highly fragmented. Australia’s ban set a precedent, with Indonesia, Türkiye, Malaysia, and the UAE following suit, and more countries expected to join them. Other governments have stopped short of outright bans, instead using combinations of age assurance, parental consent, and safety-by-design requirements. In the US, social media giants face landmark lawsuits alleging their platforms have failed to ensure children's online safety and well-being.
• Enforcing age restrictions on social media platforms is difficult. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner found that over 80% of children were still accessing age-restricted social media platforms three months after the social media ban was implemented, and that platforms were not implementing effective age-assurance measures.

Scope

• This report provides an overview of social media age restriction policies globally.
• It analyzes the efficacy of these restrictions and their impact on social media companies and advertisers.
• It includes recommendations for social media platforms, advertisers, and online safety regulators.

Reasons to Buy

• Major social media companies face a legal reckoning reminiscent of historic tobacco litigation, driven by landmark US cases challenging platform design and youth safety. These legal developments highlight several questions that are at the heart of debates about social media’s safety: should children be allowed to access certain social media platforms at all, and if so, at what age and under what restrictions, and who should decide and govern that access? This report provides a timely overview of this significant, disruptive theme.