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A Global Push To Restrict Social Media For Minors Gains Momentum

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 22, 2026

Governments around the world are increasingly moving to restrict children’s access to social media, shifting the debate from online safety to age-based access itself.

Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide ban for users under 16, and a growing number of governments have since introduced similar laws, draft legislation or policy proposals. France is the latest to join the list, highlighting how quickly age-based restrictions are gaining political support.

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Why Governments Are Acting

Supporters argue that social media exposes children to cyberbullying, addictive platform design, mental health risks and online predators. They say governments must intervene where parental controls and platform safeguards have failed.

Critics, including Amnesty Tech, argue that blanket bans fail to reflect how young people use digital services while raising concerns over privacy, surveillance and intrusive age verification.

Despite those objections, more governments continue to pursue similar policies. Below is a country-by-country overview of where social media bans for minors have been adopted or are under serious consideration.

Australia

Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 in December 2025. The restriction covers Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick, but excludes WhatsApp and YouTube Kids.

Platforms must take active steps to prevent underage access or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (about US$34.4 million). The government has also said self-declared birthdays will not be sufficient, requiring platforms to use multiple age-verification methods.

Austria

Austria plans to ban social media for children under 14, with draft legislation expected to be finalized by June.

Canada

Canada introduced a digital safety bill in early June that would ban social media for children under 16. Platforms could be exempt if they demonstrate adequate protections for young users. Officials say the legislation could take up to a year to pass.

Denmark

Denmark is preparing to ban social media for children under 15 after securing cross-party political backing in late 2025.

The measure could become law as early as mid-2026. The government is also developing an age-verification app to help enforce the restrictions.

France

France passed a law on July 21 banning social media access for anyone under 15. The measure could take effect as early as September 1.

It also extends restrictions on mobile phone use to high schools, building on existing rules covering primary and middle schools.

Germany

Conservatives led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz have proposed banning children under 16 from social media, although opposition from coalition partners has cast doubt on whether the proposal will move forward.

Greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in April that Greece will ban social media access for children under 15 beginning in January 2027.

He said the policy is intended to address rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of social media platforms.

Indonesia

Indonesia announced in early March that it plans to ban children under 16 from using social media and other widely used online platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.

Malaysia

Malaysia said in November 2025 that it plans to ban social media for children under 16, with implementation expected this year.

Poland

Poland’s ruling party is drafting legislation that would ban children under 15 from using social media.

Slovenia

Slovenia is preparing legislation to prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media. The proposal would apply to platforms where users share content, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

Spain

Spain plans to ban social media for children under 16, although the proposal still requires parliamentary approval.

The government is also seeking legislation that would hold social media executives personally liable for hate speech published on their platforms.

Turkey

Turkey’s parliament passed a bill in April restricting social media access for children under 15. The legislation now awaits approval from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 15 that the U.K. plans to ban social media use for children under 16.

The proposal would apply to Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, while excluding messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.

The government also plans restrictions on AI tools, including romantic companion chatbots, limiting access to users aged 18 and older.

While experts have questioned whether such a ban can be effectively enforced, Starmer has said he believes it is achievable. The government expects the policy could take effect by spring 2027.

The Bigger Policy Question

Australia remains the only country to have fully implemented a nationwide social media ban for minors, while most others are still drafting legislation or awaiting parliamentary approval.

Whether these measures reduce harm to young users will depend largely on age-verification technology, platform compliance and how governments balance child safety with privacy concerns.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.