Slovenia Becomes Next European Country to Propose Social Media Ban for Children

Earlier this week, Spain said it wants to regulate social media access for under-16s in a bid to shield children from harmful content online.

A 14-year-old boy posing at his home near Gosford as he looks at social media on his mobile phone in New South Wales, Australia, on Oct. 24, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Slovenia has joined other countries in Europe in planning to ban social media for children by preparing legislation to stop under-15s from accessing the platforms.

Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon said at a news conference on Feb. 5 that the move had been initiated by the Education Ministry and that specialists in education and digital technologies would be involved in drafting the law.

“This has been a hot topic around the world and in Europe in recent weeks and months, and with this, we as a government are showing that we care about our children,” Arcon said.

Several countries around the world are looking at introducing age-dependent bans on access to social media, amid concerns over young people’s mental health.

On Dec. 10, 2025, Australia became the first nation to impose restrictions on minors’ use of social media, when it banned children under 16 from accessing about a dozen platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Earlier this week, Spain announced plans to regulate social media access for under-16s. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Feb. 3 that the measures would shield children from harmful online content.

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone, a space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation, violence. We will no longer accept that. We will protect them from the digital Wild West,” Sánchez said while attending the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Other Proposed Legislation

Other European Union countries, including France and Denmark, are planning on introducing their own bans.

Legislation is moving through France’s parliament to ban children under 15 from accessing the platforms, amid concerns over young people’s mental health and exposure to violent content.

The Danish Ministry of Digitization said in a statement on Nov. 7, 2025, that 15 would be the age at which young people will be able to access social media, “so that children have more time for peace, play, and development.”

The ministry said the government was making it clear that children “should not be left alone in a digital world where harmful content and commercial interests are too much a part of shaping their everyday lives and childhoods.”

Other European countries outside the bloc are also exploring possible restrictions, notably Norway and Switzerland.

Malaysia is also planning to ban social media accounts for children under 16 in 2026.

Egypt has indicated that it is considering regulating young people’s access to social media. The Parliament of Egypt’s House of Representatives said on Jan. 25 that it will explore drafting a law to end the “digital chaos confronting ... children and negatively affecting their future.”

Reuters contributed to this report.