Lawmakers Around The World Take Action To Protect Children From Social Media

Published: April 6, 2026

By India McCarty

Social media restrictions are gaining popularity around the world, with many countries working to put measures into place to protect young people.

“It’s one of the last bipartisan issues that I think we have in this country,” Ravi Iyer, managing director of the USC Marshall’s School Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and policy advisor at Jonathan Haidt’s Anxious Generation Movement, told CNBC.

Holly Grosshans, senior counsel for tech policy at the nonprofit Common Sense Media, agreed, pointing out that “almost every single state” has started to work on regulating online safety, from Florida’s prohibition of social media for children under the age of 14, to New York’s rule that social media platforms with autoplay or infinite scroll features must come with a warning label.

Some states are even taking direct action against the social media platforms. New Mexico recently won a landmark trial against Meta, with a jury stating the company’s tech is harmful to children’s mental health, and demanding Meta pay a $375 million penalty.

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez, who sued Meta in 2023, said in a statement.

He continued, “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”

It’s not just in the US; Australia recently passed a law that restricts people under the age of 16 from being on social media.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the restrictions “aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts,” adding, “These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”

France is pursuing similar legislation for children under 15, while the UK’s ban of young people under 16 from social media was backed by the House of Lords earlier this year.

“We will take action to give children a healthier relationship with mobile phones and social media,” a government spokesperson told Sky News. “It is important we get this right, which is why we have launched a consultation and will work with experts, parents and young people to ensure we take the best approach, based on evidence.”

As we learn more about the dangers of social media, lawmakers around the world are working to find ways to protect children from its negative side effects.

Questions or comments? Please write to us here.