PARIS — The European Union is to unveil proposals yesterday aimed at curbing addictive features of social media for minors, as a growing number of countries look to restrict children’s access to the platforms.

More than 20 countries around the world have now taken steps to block or restrict children going online on social media, according to an AFP tally.

Seven have measures already in place or set to be implemented, with their policies targeting children under the age of 15 or 16.

Australia was the first country to introduce a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, at the end of 2025.

The US state of California has also recently moved to tighten restrictions on minors’ access to social media.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to present her proposals to the European Parliament yesterday, after months of considering ways to protect minors from features designed to keep users hooked.

Social media has been banned for under-16s in Australia since December 2025.

However, the ban so far appears to have been widely circumvented by teenagers, according to data released in August.

Brazil began implementing measures in March requiring platforms to link the accounts of users aged under 16 to those of their parents, while also requiring platforms to verify users’ ages.

In China, where the internet is tightly regulated by the state, minors’ access to social media has been restricted progressively since 2019.

Initial measures imposed time limits and curfews on online gaming, before similar restrictions were extended in 2023 to social media and streaming platforms.

Indonesia has banned social media for under-16s since March.