European States Push Child Social Media Age Limits Ahead of EU Law
Greece, Italy, Portugal and others are legislating nationally while the EU Kids Act is negotiated, but Romania has yet to impose restrictions.
Illustration: AI-generated image
On Wednesday 28 October 2026, several European governments are pressing ahead with national rules limiting children’s access to social media, rather than waiting for the European Commission’s proposed “EU Kids Act” to become law. Greece has passed a ban for under-15s, while Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Austria and Germany are working on their own measures. Romania has so far adopted no restrictions.
In September, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the EU Kids Act, which would ban children under 13 from most social platforms and impose strict limits for under-15s. However, some member states want higher age thresholds and argue the issue is too urgent to wait for the bloc-wide negotiation process.
Danish digitalisation minister Christina Egelund told Politico that while waiting for the EU Kids Act, Denmark continues to promote national legislation because “children and parents should not have to wait.” Greece’s parliament adopted a law last week banning under-15s from social media, with a ministry spokesperson calling the move “complementary” to the European initiative. Italy has revived efforts to protect under-14s, while Portugal formally notified the European Commission of its own legislation just over a week after the EU proposal was presented. Cyprus approved an under-15 ban on the same day the Commission unveiled its plan.
Austria is preparing a ban for under-14s, and the Commission is expected to give its first indication this week on how it will treat such national laws. Brussels has said that once EU rules enter into force, incompatible national measures should be repealed. A senior Commission official told Politico in September that France, which has notified a law banning under-15s, should be prepared to scrap it when common rules apply.
Negotiations on the EU Kids Act could last eight to twelve months, pushing actual application to 2028. That delay is one of the main reasons governments are acting now. Romania, however, has not yet proposed or adopted any restrictions on children’s access to social networks, according to the report. Parents and educators in Romania may want to follow developments as a patchwork of national rules emerges across Europe.
