Social media age limits in Europe by country (October 2026 guide)
As of October 2026, no European country is enforcing a blanket ban on social media for children. France passed an under-15 ban in July 2026, but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August. Greece, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Norway all have bills or drafts on the table, and the European Commission has proposed an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for independent accounts. The age limit that actually applies everywhere today is the GDPR "digital age of consent", which ranges from 13 to 16 depending on the country.
This page tracks both layers: national bans and plans, and the data-protection consent ages already in force. Last checked: 16 October 2026.
The two kinds of "age limit" in Europe
Searches for social media age limits often mix up two different rules.
- Access bans or minimum ages for accounts. These say a child below a certain age may not hold an account at all, or only with parental involvement. They are the subject of the current national bills and of the proposed EU KIDS Act.
- The GDPR digital age of consent. Under Article 8 of the GDPR, an online service that relies on a child's consent to process personal data needs a parent's consent below 16, unless the member state has set a lower age, which cannot go below 13. This rule governs data processing, not access as such.
Most platforms' own terms set 13 as the minimum age, which is why the GDPR threshold has been the practical reference point until now.
National bans and plans: country by country
Statuses below are as of October 2026. None of these countries is enforcing a ban yet.
France: under-15 ban struck down
Parliament adopted an under-15 social media ban on 21 July 2026, due to apply from 1 September. On 14 August 2026 the Constitutional Council (decision 2026-911 DC) struck out the article containing the ban. It accepted that protecting children can justify limits, but found a general ban disproportionate: it applied regardless of each service's risks, gave parents no way to lift it, and required every user, adults included, to prove their age without legal safeguards. According to Reed Smith's analysis, President Macron asked the prime minister to prepare a legally robust revised text, and reports point to spring 2027 as the government's target. France's digital age of consent stays at 15.
Greece: under-15 limit planned from 1 January 2027
The government's bill sets 15 as the minimum age for social networking services from 1 January 2027, counted by year of birth: children born in 2013 or later would be restricted from that date. As reported by Proto Thema, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are named as covered, and age checks can use the state Kids Wallet app or an equivalent tool that only signals over or under 15. The plenary vote is expected on 22 October 2026, so the bill is not yet law.
Denmark: under-15 limit planned from July 2027
The government sent a draft law setting an age limit of 15 out for public consultation on 7 September 2026. The ministry's announcement says the bill is expected to be tabled in early 2027 and to take effect on 1 July 2027. A November 2025 political agreement had allowed parents to give access from age 13. The announcement does not spell out a parental-consent route, and the Conservatives say they still want action on 13 to 15-year-olds using social media with parental consent, so this point remains open.
Austria: under-14 limit in draft
On 27 July 2026 the federal government sent a draft banning social media for under-14s into public review and notified it to the European Commission, according to the Federal Chancellery. It targets platforms with addictive features such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, excludes messaging apps like WhatsApp, and relies on privacy-preserving "double-blind" age checks. It still needs a parliamentary vote.
Spain: under-16 restriction in Congress
Spain's draft Organic Law on protecting minors in digital environments is in the Justice Committee of the Congress of Deputies. Amendments agreed by the governing parties would bar under-16s from social networks with content harmful to minors and require parental authorisation for other platforms. The original bill also raises Spain's digital age of consent from 14 to 16. As of October 2026, no final vote has taken place.
Portugal: under-16 rules approved in principle
On 12 February 2026 Parliament approved in a first (general) vote a bill that would bar account creation under 13 and require verified parental consent between 13 and 16, using the Chave Móvel Digital or a similar system, ECO reported. The text went to committee, and we found no record of a final vote as of October 2026.
Norway: under-16 limit planned (outside the EU)
Norway's government proposes a limit tied to 1 January of the year a child turns 16, so a whole school year gains access at once. Tek.no reported that the bill is due to go to the Storting in December 2026.
Other governments, including Italy, have debated restrictions without adopting a national ban. For background on the wider regulatory picture, see our Policy coverage and reporting from Western European capitals.
The EU level: KIDS Act, DSA guidelines and age checks
The proposed EU KIDS Act
On 17 September 2026 the Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act, a regulation on protecting minors online. It sets three tiers for social media:
- Under 13: no social media accounts; video services designed for young children only through a parent's own account.
- 13 and 14: a parent-managed "mini account" with limited features and a daily limit of at most one hour.
- 15 and over: own account.
The proposal also covers video-sharing platforms, online games and AI chatbots, requires platforms to verify users' age, and would oblige platforms to check existing accounts within six months of the rules applying and disable those of under-15s, according to the Commission's Q&A. It must still be agreed by the European Parliament and the Council, and no application date is set. In November 2025 the Parliament had called for an EU-wide minimum age of 16 unless parents authorise access, so the final threshold may change.
DSA rules already in force
Article 28 of the Digital Services Act already requires online platforms accessible to minors to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security. The Commission's guidelines on that article, published in July 2025, recommend measures such as private-by-default accounts for minors and age assurance for higher-risk services. Enforcement against the largest services sits with the Commission; see our list of very large online platforms under the DSA.
The EU age verification app
The Commission's age verification app became feature-ready on 15 April 2026 and can be customised by member states. It confirms only whether a user is above a threshold and is built on the same specifications as the European Digital Identity Wallet, which member states must offer by the end of 2026. More on that timeline: EU Digital Identity Wallet deadline explained.
GDPR digital age of consent by country
These are the ages below which parental consent is needed when a service relies on a child's consent to process data. They are in force as of October 2026; check the national data protection law before relying on any single entry.
- 13: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Sweden
- 14: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Spain
- 15: Czechia, France, Greece, Slovenia
- 16: Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia
Slovenia moved to 15 when its new data protection act, ZVOP-2, took effect in January 2023. Spain would move to 16 if its pending bill passes. Countries that set no lower age default to 16 under the GDPR.
What this means for families and platforms
- For now, platform terms (usually 13) and national consent ages are the rules that apply in practice.
- Greece is the first date to watch: 1 January 2027, if its bill passes on schedule.
- National laws may later need to align with the KIDS Act once it is adopted, since it would be a directly applicable EU regulation.
Frequently asked questions
Which European countries ban social media for children?
As of October 2026, none enforces a full ban. France adopted an under-15 ban but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August 2026, while Greece, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Norway have bills or drafts in progress.
Is there an EU-wide social media ban for under-15s?
Not yet. The Commission's proposed EU KIDS Act would set 15 as the minimum age for an independent account, with supervised mini accounts for 13 and 14-year-olds, but it still needs approval from the Parliament and the Council.
What is the GDPR digital age of consent?
It is the age below which a parent must consent when an online service relies on a child's consent to process personal data. The GDPR default is 16, and member states can lower it to between 13 and 15.
When does the Greek social media ban start?
The Greek bill sets 1 January 2027 as the start date for under-15 restrictions. The plenary vote was scheduled for 22 October 2026, so the date depends on the bill passing.
What age do you have to be to use social media in France?
No ban is in force: the under-15 ban adopted in July 2026 was struck down in August 2026. In practice the reference points are France's GDPR consent age of 15 and platform terms, which usually set 13.