Social media bans for minors are spreading. France moved to bar children under 15 from major platforms, though its top court blocked the law on human rights grounds. The UK plans to forbid under-16s from accessing Facebook and TikTok in early 2027, and the EU has proposed a ban for children under 15.
Early evidence from Australia, which enacted a ban in 2024, suggests these age restrictions are easily circumvented. A study published earlier this year found that four in five teens under 16 still made their way onto barred platforms. Teens have tried many tactics, from using a sibling's face for ID verification to drawing fake facial hair. Some proponents want stronger enforcement to block these workarounds.
The authors argue that circumvention is a signal, not a nuisance. It shows that kids are looking for ways around the limits, and that bans suppress access to information essential to development, identity formation and socialization. Further restrictions could backfire by pushing young people toward less-moderated, higher-risk corners of the web. Closing age-gate loopholes would also weaken privacy and security for everyone, since people must submit sensitive personal information to prove their age.
Parents are not a monolithic group, the authors note. Many allow their children responsible access to social media to connect with peers, find information and build digital safety skills, and many believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Research dating back to 2011 found that parents helped children evade Facebook age restrictions. The authors call instead for smarter policies, such as stronger limits on data collection by companies and flexible family tools to control content and access.
Source: MIT Technology Review · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing