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Resource · For Parents & Schools

Social Media Age Laws for Children

Countries are tightening the rules on children's social media. Choose your region to see what the law says, what it means for your family or school, and where to read the official text.

Your region

United Kingdom: 13+ for data consent, plus strict child-safety duties on platforms

Minimum age: 13

There is no blanket UK ban on social media for under-16s. Instead, the Online Safety Act 2023 makes platforms protect children from harmful content using highly effective age checks, and UK GDPR sets 13 as the age a child can consent to their own data being used.

What the law says

Online Safety Act 2023

Child safety duties, enforced by Ofcom

  • Platforms likely to be used by children must assess and reduce risks to them.
  • Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes (in force from July 2025) require highly effective age assurance to block pornography and the most harmful content.
  • Platforms must enforce their own minimum ages consistently.

UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018

Article 8 — age of digital consent 13

  • Under-13s need parental consent for services that rely on consent to process their data.
  • The ICO Children's Code requires high-privacy defaults for under-18s.

For parents

  • Most major apps (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat) set 13 as the minimum — enforce it at home.
  • Use teen account and family-pairing settings for 13–17s.
  • Report harmful content to the platform; complain to Ofcom if the platform does not act.

For schools

  • Reflect the Online Safety Act and KCSIE online safety expectations in your policies.
  • Teach pupils how to report content and what platforms are now required to do.

Elsewhere in the world

  • Australia: Minimum age of 16 for social media accounts, from 10 December 2025 (Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024). Source
  • European Union: Digital consent age is 13–16 depending on member state (GDPR Art. 8); the Digital Services Act requires platforms to protect minors. Source

Official sources

This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Laws and their enforcement change — always check the official text. See also our Internet Safety Tips for Parents.