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Vietnam is weighing the most unusual version yet of the youth social media bans that are sweeping the globe. Instead of kicking kids off platforms entirely, the country wants to let them stay logged in \u2014 just muted.<\/p>\n
Under a draft decree from Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, reported<\/a> on Friday by Reuters, users under 16 would keep their social media accounts but lose the ability to post, comment, or react to content. The proposal would require social media accounts for children under 16 to be registered under a parent, who would then be responsible for monitoring the content the child accesses and their time spent on the platforms. The platforms themselves would be required to deploy technical measures to identify which of their users are children and restrict them to age-appropriate content.<\/p>\n Deputy Culture Minister Phan Tam said the goal isn\u2019t to ban or excessively restrict children\u2019s access to social media, but to ensure they\u2019re in an age-appropriate environment when they do use it. The decree hasn\u2019t been finalized and could still be revised before adoption. Vietnam is also considering separate restrictions on gaming, which would cap play for under-16 users at 60 minutes a day per game and apply the same parental registration requirement used for social media accounts.<\/p>\n Over the past months, many countries have announced plans to restrict social media access for children and teens. Australia became the first<\/a> to implement such measures at the end of last year, setting a precedent that other countries are closely watching.\u00a0Along with Vietnam, France more recently announced such a measure.<\/p>\n The regulations and proposals being brought forth by governments around the world aim to reduce the pressures and risks that young users may face on social media, which include cyberbullying, addiction, mental health issues, and exposure to predators.\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course, there are concerns about privacy regarding invasive age verification and excessive government intervention. Critics, including Amnesty Tech<\/a>, have further said such bans are ineffective and that they ignore the realities of younger generations. Many nations are moving ahead with proposed legislation anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious about the countries that are considering or have already moved forward with bans on social media for young users, read on.<\/p>\n Australia became the world\u2019s first country to ban social media<\/a> for children under 16 in December 2025. The ban blocks children from using Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. It notably doesn\u2019t include WhatsApp or YouTube Kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Australian government has said these social media companies must take steps to keep children off their services.\u00a0Companies that fail to comply may face penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD ($34.4 million USD).<\/p>\n The government says these platforms should use multiple verification methods to ensure that people using their services are older than 16. It also notes that they can\u2019t rely on users simply entering their own age.\u00a0<\/p>\n Austria said in late March that it will ban social media<\/a> for children up to the age of 14. Draft legislation for the ban is expected to be finalized by June.<\/p>\n The Canadian government introduced a digital safety bill<\/a> in early June that would ban social media for children under 16. Under the legislation, social media giants could sidestep the ban if they demonstrate they have policies to protect young users. Officials have said it could take a year for the bill to pass.<\/p>\n Denmark is set to ban<\/a> social media platforms for children under 15. The Danish government announced in November 2025 that it had secured support for the ban from three governing coalition parties and two opposition parties in parliament.<\/p>\n The government\u2019s plans could become law as soon as mid-2026, according to the Associated Press.\u00a0The Danish digital affairs ministry is also launching a \u201cdigital evidence\u201d app that includes age verification tools that may be used as part of the ban. <\/p>\n France passed a law on July 21 banning access<\/a> to social media for anyone under 15. The law could go into effect as soon as September 1. The law will also ban the use of cell phones in high schools, extending a ban already present in primary and middle schools.<\/p>\n In early February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz\u2019s conservatives discussed a proposal to bar<\/a> children under 16 from using social media, Reuters reported. However, there were signs that his center-left coalition partners were hesitant to support an outright ban.<\/p>\n Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in April that the country is going to ban access to social media<\/a> for children under 15 starting January 2027. Mitsotakis says the move is aimed at tackling rising anxiety and sleep problems among children, as well as the addictive design of social media.<\/p>\n Indonesia said in early March that it\u2019s banning children under the age of 16<\/a> from using social media and other popular online platforms. The country plans to start with platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.<\/p>\n The Malaysian government said in November 2025 that it plans to ban social media<\/a> for children under 16. The country plans to implement the ban this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s ruling party is drafting new legislation that would ban children under 15<\/a> from using social media, Bloomberg reported in February.<\/p>\n Slovenia is drafting legislation<\/a> to prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, the country\u2019s deputy prime minister announced in early February. The government wants to regulate social networks where content is shared, citing platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s prime minister announced in early February that the country plans to ban<\/a> social media for children under the age of 16. The ban still needs parliamentary approval. The Spanish government is also seeking to create a law that would make social media executives personally accountable for hate speech on their platforms.<\/p>\n The Turkish parliament in April passed a bill<\/a> to restrict social media access for children under 15. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan must now accept the bill for it to pass into law.<\/p>\n U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0on June 15 that his government will impose a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age. The ban would apply to a range of social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram,\u00a0Facebook,\u00a0and X.<\/p>\n Messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban. There are also going to be limitations on AI tools, as AI \u201cromantic companion\u201d chatbots will have to ensure they are only usable by people over 18.<\/p>\n Experts have questioned whether a blanket ban would be effective. Starmer has acknowledged the challenges but said he believes it\u2019s possible to enforce it. He said a ban could be in place by spring 2027.<\/p>\n See above for the latest on Vietnam\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n This story was originally published in February 2026 and is updated regularly with new information.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\nAustralia<\/h2>\n
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