Countries Enact Social Media Bans for Minors as U.S. Lags Behind

Australia, Spain, and other nations have implemented restrictions, but the U.S. has yet to follow suit despite growing legal battles over social media's harms.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Countries around the world, including Australia and Spain, have enacted laws restricting or banning social media use for minors in response to growing concerns over the negative impacts of social media on youth mental health, body image, and political polarization. However, the U.S. has yet to implement similar regulations, despite an increasing number of legal battles being fought against major social media companies over these issues. Experts argue that the U.S. should take action to protect young people from the harms of social media addiction and overuse.

Why it matters

The legal battles unfolding in the U.S. over social media's effects on youth could set important precedents and spur the government to take action. Regulating social media for minors is seen as crucial by many to address issues like mental health, body image, and political polarization that have been exacerbated by widespread social media use among young people.

The details

Several countries have already enacted laws restricting or banning social media use for minors. In December 2022, Australia banned social media accounts for children under 16, with fines of up to $32 million for companies that fail to take "reasonable steps" to keep children off their platforms. In February 2023, the Spanish government announced plans to pass legislation banning those under 16 from social media, following similar moves by France and Denmark. However, the U.S. has yet to implement nationwide regulations, despite a growing number of legal battles being fought against major social media companies over the harms their platforms have caused to young users.

  • In December 2022, Australia banned social media accounts for children under 16.
  • On February 3, 2023, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain will begin to pass legislation banning those under 16 from social media.
  • In January 2023, the first round of bellwether cases went to trial in the U.S., setting the stage for hundreds of other trials to come.

The players

Australia

A country that has enacted a law banning social media accounts for children under 16, with fines of up to $32 million for companies that fail to take "reasonable steps" to keep children off their platforms.

Spain

A country that has announced plans to pass legislation banning those under 16 from social media, following similar moves by France and Denmark.

United States

A country that has yet to implement nationwide regulations on social media use for minors, despite a growing number of legal battles being fought against major social media companies over the harms their platforms have caused to young users.

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What they’re saying

“Honestly, we need to do more than introducing restrictions. [We need to] think about better ways to make … more effective legislation. I mean, our government's old as hell.”

— Will Washko, First-year student at Washington University in St. Louis (studlife.com)

“Yes, definitely. I think they're super addictive. You never actually get satisfied because you're not engaging with anything, you're just passively consuming.”

— Eli Regardie, First-year student at Washington University in St. Louis (studlife.com)

“I think when your brain is barely developed and [you're already] having to be conscious of how you're presenting yourself, … [it's] really bad for people's self esteem.”

— Kendall Carlish, First-year student at Washington University in St. Louis (studlife.com)

What’s next

The judge in the bellwether cases in the U.S. is expected to make a decision in the coming months that could set a precedent for hundreds of other trials against social media companies.

The takeaway

As countries around the world take action to protect minors from the harms of social media, the U.S. has fallen behind, despite growing legal battles and concerns over the negative impacts of these platforms on young people's mental health, body image, and political views. Experts argue that the U.S. government must act quickly to implement effective regulations to safeguard the wellbeing of its youth.