Vietnam is looking to restrict social media for kids; here’s a look at growing number of other countries doing the same

3 weeks ago 24

Vietnam is weighing the astir antithetic mentation yet of the younker societal media bans that are sweeping the globe. Instead of kicking kids disconnected platforms entirely, the state wants to fto them enactment logged successful — conscionable muted.

Under a draught decree from Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, reported connected Friday by Reuters, users nether 16 would support their societal media accounts but suffer the quality to post, comment, oregon respond to content. The connection would necessitate societal media accounts for children nether 16 to beryllium registered nether a parent, who would past beryllium liable for monitoring the contented the kid accesses and their clip spent connected the platforms. The platforms themselves would beryllium required to deploy method measures to place which of their users are children and restrict them to age-appropriate content.

Deputy Culture Minister Phan Tam said the extremity isn’t to prohibition oregon excessively restrict children’s entree to societal media, but to guarantee they’re successful an age-appropriate situation erstwhile they bash usage it. The decree hasn’t been finalized and could inactive beryllium revised earlier adoption. Vietnam is besides considering abstracted restrictions connected gaming, which would headdress play for under-16 users astatine 60 minutes a time per crippled and use the aforesaid parental registration request utilized for societal media accounts.

Over the past months, galore countries person announced plans to restrict societal media entree for children and teens. Australia became the first to instrumentality specified measures astatine the extremity of past year, mounting a precedent that different countries are intimately watching. Along with Vietnam, France much precocious announced specified a measure.

The regulations and proposals being brought distant by governments astir the satellite purpose to trim the pressures and risks that young users whitethorn look connected societal media, which see cyberbullying, addiction, intelligence wellness issues, and vulnerability to predators.

Of course, determination are concerns astir privateness regarding invasive property verification and excessive authorities intervention. Critics, including Amnesty Tech, person further said specified bans are ineffective and that they disregard the realities of younger generations. Many nations are moving up with projected authorities anyway.

If you’re funny astir the countries that are considering oregon person already moved guardant with bans connected societal media for young users, work on.

Australia

Australia became the world’s archetypal state to ban societal media for children nether 16 successful December 2025. The prohibition blocks children from utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. It notably doesn’t see WhatsApp oregon YouTube Kids.

The Australian authorities has said these societal media companies indispensable instrumentality steps to support children disconnected their services. Companies that neglect to comply whitethorn look penalties of up to $49.5 cardinal AUD ($34.4 cardinal USD).

The authorities says these platforms should usage aggregate verification methods to guarantee that radical utilizing their services are older than 16. It besides notes that they can’t trust connected users simply entering their ain age.

Austria

Austria said successful precocious March that it volition ban societal media for children up to the property of 14. Draft authorities for the prohibition is expected to beryllium finalized by June.

Canada

The Canadian authorities introduced a integer information bill successful aboriginal June that would prohibition societal media for children nether 16. Under the legislation, societal media giants could sidestep the prohibition if they show they person policies to support young users. Officials person said it could instrumentality a twelvemonth for the measure to pass.

Denmark

Denmark is set to ban societal media platforms for children nether 15. The Danish authorities announced successful November 2025 that it had secured enactment for the prohibition from 3 governing conjugation parties and 2 absorption parties successful parliament.

The government’s plans could go instrumentality arsenic soon arsenic mid-2026, according to the Associated Press. The Danish integer affairs ministry is besides launching a “digital evidence” app that includes property verification tools that whitethorn beryllium utilized arsenic portion of the ban.

France

France passed a instrumentality connected July 21 banning access to societal media for anyone nether 15. The instrumentality could spell into effect arsenic soon arsenic September 1. The instrumentality volition besides prohibition the usage of compartment phones successful precocious schools, extending a prohibition already contiguous successful superior and mediate schools.

Germany

In aboriginal February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives discussed a proposal to bar children nether 16 from utilizing societal media, Reuters reported. However, determination were signs that his center-left conjugation partners were hesitant to enactment an outright ban.

Greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced successful April that the state is going to ban entree to societal media for children nether 15 starting January 2027. Mitsotakis says the determination is aimed astatine tackling rising anxiousness and slumber problems among children, arsenic good arsenic the addictive plan of societal media.

Indonesia

Indonesia said successful aboriginal March that it’s banning children nether the property of 16 from utilizing societal media and different fashionable online platforms. The state plans to commencement with platforms specified arsenic YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.

Malaysia

The Malaysian authorities said successful November 2025 that it plans to ban societal media for children nether 16. The state plans to instrumentality the prohibition this year.

Poland

Poland’s ruling enactment is drafting caller authorities that would ban children nether 15 from utilizing societal media, Bloomberg reported successful February.

Slovenia

Slovenia is drafting legislation to prohibit children nether 15 from accessing societal media, the country’s lawman premier curate announced successful aboriginal February. The authorities wants to modulate societal networks wherever contented is shared, citing platforms specified arsenic TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Spain

Spain’s premier curate announced successful aboriginal February that the state plans to ban societal media for children nether the property of 16. The prohibition inactive needs parliamentary approval. The Spanish authorities is besides seeking to make a instrumentality that would marque societal media executives personally accountable for hatred code connected their platforms.

Turkey

The Turkish parliament successful April passed a bill to restrict societal media entree for children nether 15. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan indispensable present judge the measure for it to walk into law.

UK

U.K. premier curate Keir Starmer announced on June 15 that his authorities volition enforce a prohibition connected societal media usage for children nether 16 years of age. The prohibition would use to a scope of societal media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Messaging services similar WhatsApp and Signal volition not beryllium included successful the ban. There are besides going to beryllium limitations connected AI tools, arsenic AI “romantic companion” chatbots volition person to guarantee they are lone usable by radical implicit 18.

Experts person questioned whether a broad prohibition would beryllium effective. Starmer has acknowledged the challenges but said helium believes it’s imaginable to enforce it. He said a prohibition could beryllium successful spot by outpouring 2027.