During the year 2026, the regulation policy of social networks in the European Union came under intense pressure due to increasing concerns about the mental health and safety of children on the Internet. However, although the idea of ”banning” social networks for children throughout the EU is often mentioned, the reality is more complex: there is no single EU ban that would automatically apply to all member states, but such proposals and national initiatives are increasingly appearing.
One of the most important trends in 2026 is the growth of national laws within the EU aimed at restricting access to social networks to younger users. For example, at the end of January 2026, France adopted a bill that would ban the use of social networks by people under the age of 15, with the goal of implementing this child protection policy from the beginning of the school year. This law needs to pass the Senate before it becomes binding.
Similarly, Denmark previously announced plans to ban access to social media for under-15s, with the exception that parents can give permission for users aged 13 and over, although the rules have not yet fully come into effect.
At the EU level, the institutions are also working on mechanisms that would make it easier to restrict access to social networks for minors, but without a centralized ban. The European Commission is developing age verification tools that should become mandatory by the end of 2026 so that platforms can check whether users are older than the prescribed limits. Platforms will either have to use this system or introduce equivalents to comply with EU rules and national laws.
At the same time, the European Parliament recently adopted non-binding resolutions calling for a minimum digital age, proposing that social networks and other digital services should only be accessible to people over 16 without parental consent, while younger people could access them with parental permission. These proposals are aimed at protecting mental health and preventing the harmful effects of platform design that are particularly problematic for younger teenagers.
All this means that from 2026 there will probably be a mixture of national and European rules in the EU instead of a single ban at the level of the entire Union. While a number of countries are already adopting or planning stricter regulations against access to social networks for younger children, EU institutions are working on frameworks and verification systems that would enable such restrictions to be enforced in accordance with data protection and digital rights laws.
In practice, this means that rules will vary from country to country, and platforms will need to put in place age verification systems and safeguards to comply with requirements, be it national laws or DSA guidelines. This approach tries to balance the protection of children and the rights of parents, while recognizing that even unilaterally introducing a definitive ban at the EU level can be legally and practically challenging.
The idea of a complete “ban” of social media for children in the EU in 2026 is not something that is automatically happening across the continent, but moves in that direction are clear, with national laws moving in that direction and European policies supporting stricter age limits and verification mechanisms.