As Portugal's proposal advances and other European governments refine their legislation, momentum is building across the region for stricter safeguards on minors' use of social media platforms.

by Billion Temesghen

BRUSSELS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Portugal has proposed legislation requiring parental consent for minors under 16 to access social media platforms, becoming the latest European country to tighten age restrictions amid growing concerns over child safety online.

The draft law, introduced on Thursday, would require platforms to implement effective age-verification systems and comply with national child protection standards. The proposal places Portugal alongside Spain, France, Denmark, and Greece in strengthening safeguards for young users.

Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans to raise the minimum age for social media use from 14 to 16, pledging to protect the children from what he described as "the digital Wild West."

Sanchez said his government would also introduce legal accountability for technology executives who fail to remove illegal or harmful content, including child sexual abuse material and nonconsensual deepfake imagery.

France's lower house of parliament recently approved legislation banning children under 15 from accessing social media, pending Senate approval. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for coordinated European action, saying platforms have the technical capacity to verify users' ages.

Several European governments are pursuing similar measures, though age thresholds vary. Denmark and Greece are working toward setting a minimum age of 15, while Austria is considering a threshold of 14. Italy has introduced proposals addressing social media use by minors, including rules affecting child influencers.

In November 2025, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution recommending a minimum age of 16 for unrestricted access to social media across the bloc, with parental consent permitted for younger teenagers.

The European Commission has said age limits remain a matter of national competence under the General Data Protection Regulation. Instead of imposing a bloc-wide threshold, Brussels is developing a European Union (EU) age-verification tool that member states may customize. Platforms would not be required to adopt it if they can demonstrate equally effective alternatives.

Under the EU's Digital Services Act, in force since 2024, major platforms are required to assess risks to minors and implement mitigation measures. Regulators have begun increasing scrutiny of compliance.

Scientific studies have helped shape the policy discussions. Longitudinal research published in peer-reviewed journals has found associations between heavy social media use and higher rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption among adolescents. Some studies suggest prolonged exposure to algorithm-driven content may affect brain regions linked to impulse control, emotional regulation, and attention.

Researchers caution that such findings demonstrate correlation rather than definitive causation. Many experts say risks are heightened with excessive, unsupervised use, while moderate, supervised engagement may offer social and creative benefits.

Outside the EU, Australia implemented a nationwide ban on social media use by those under 16 in December, placing enforcement responsibility on platforms. It was the first nation in the world to enforce such a law. In the United States, lawmakers have held hearings on youth online safety, and several states have filed lawsuits alleging that technology companies failed to adequately protect children from harmful content.

Britain has launched a consultation on whether to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media access for children under a certain age, though it hasn't officially implemented such a ban.

In response, major social media companies are updating their age-check systems. TikTok said it plans to roll out an automated age-detection system in Europe in the coming months, moving beyond reliance on self-reported birthdates. The company said that the system combines algorithmic analysis with human review to identify accounts operated by children under 13.

As Portugal's proposal advances and other European governments refine their legislation, momentum is building across the region for stricter safeguards on minors' use of social media platforms.