More than 20 countries around the world have now taken steps to block or restrict children going online on social media, according to an AFP tally. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrive for a speech during European Commission President's annual State of the Union address at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on September 16, 2026. Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFPThe European Union unveiled proposals on Wednesday to ban social media for children under 13, as a growing number of countries look to restrict children's access to the platforms following a global backlash.More than 20 countries around the world have now taken steps to block or restrict children going online on social media, according to an AFP tally.Seven have measures already in place or set to be implemented, with their policies targeting children under the age of 15 or 16.Australia was the first country to introduce a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, at the end of 2025.The US state of California has also recently moved to tighten restrictions on minors' access to social media.Under plans unveiled Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament, the bloc will also only allow limited, supervised access until the age of 15, after months of...
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