In Europe, many adults are asking a new question: when should a child be allowed to use social media? As of April 2026, several countries are trying to set a higher minimum age for apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The debate is growing fast in France, Spain, and Greece, and the European Union is also building stronger age-check tools. (apnews.com)
One reason is health. The World Health Organization’s Europe office said problematic social media use among adolescents in its region rose from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. In the same study, girls showed higher rates than boys, 13% compared with 9%. The report was based on nearly 280,000 young people in 44 countries and regions. (who.int)
France has moved quickly. In January 2026, French lawmakers approved a bill to ban social media for children under 15. Spain is taking a tougher line too: the government had already sent parliament a draft law in March 2025 to protect minors online, and in February 2026 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would ban access to social media for children under 16. Greece joined the trend on April 8, 2026, when Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a plan to ban social media for under-15s from January 1, 2027. (apnews.com)
At the EU level, the European Parliament is pushing for a common rule. In November 2025, MEPs backed a non-legislative report calling for a digital minimum age of 16 for social media, while still allowing 13- to 16-year-olds to use it with parental consent. Then, on April 15, 2026, the European Commission said its new age verification app was ready. The app is designed to let people prove their age online and help protect children from harmful content. (europarl.europa.eu)
The hard part is not only choosing an age. It is also checking age in a way that is correct and private. EU officials say age-check systems must protect privacy, and the new app is described as anonymous and open source. So Europe is not only saying, “Wait until you are older.” It is also trying to answer a bigger question: how can children stay safe online without making the internet feel like a place of constant checking? (europarl.europa.eu)









