Author: Pavel Onuchin, VPN and network security specialist

8 min read

Updated: October 23, 2026

Social media bans for children: where they apply in 2026

As of October 2026, a social media ban for children is in effect in Australia (under 16, since December 10, 2025), Indonesia (under 16, since March 2026) and Malaysia (under 16, since June 1, 2026). In Brazil, since March 17, 2026, accounts of children under 16 must be linked to a parent's account. France passed a law, but on August 14, 2026 the Constitutional Council struck it down. In the UK, Denmark, Kazakhstan and the EU, bans have been announced or introduced but haven't taken effect yet. Russia has no ban.

For families who are moving, one detail matters. Almost all these laws are tied to the country where the child is, not to their citizenship. An account that lived quietly in Moscow may, after a move to Melbourne or Kuala Lumpur, ask for age verification or end up blocked.

Which countries have banned social media for children?

A full ban on having your own account under 16 is currently in effect in three countries: Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia. In several more countries a law has been passed or introduced but isn't working yet.

Country	Age	Status as of October 2026	How age is verified
Australia	under 16	In effect since 10.12.2025	The platform decides: face, document, indirect signals; a document can't be the only option
Indonesia	under 16	In effect since March 2026 (PP Tunas)	Obligation on platforms
Malaysia	under 16	In effect since 01.06.2026, platforms have a transition period	Checked against government documents: ID card, passport
Brazil	under 16	Since 17.03.2026 a child's account is linked to a parent's	Obligation on platforms; the state may certify verification methods
Turkey	under 15	Law passed in April 2026, takes effect at the end of 2026	No data
United Kingdom	under 16	Announced, takes effect in March 2027	Probably under Online Safety Act rules
Denmark	under 15	Government presented a bill in September 2026	No data
France	under 15	Law struck down 14.08.2026, a new one promised by spring 2027	—
Kazakhstan	under 16	Bill in parliament	No data
EU	ban under 13, 13–15 only via a parent	European Commission draft, September 2026	Digital wallets and government tools
Russia	—	No ban, under discussion	—

The data is compiled from an AFP roundup published by RTÉ on September 16, 2026, and from the texts of laws and regulators' statements.

How does the under-16 social media ban work in Australia?

Platforms must take "reasonable steps" so that children under 16 who are in Australia don't have accounts. The fine for a company is up to 49.5 million Australian dollars. The law doesn't punish children or parents.

From December 10, 2025, the ban covered Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick. Parental consent is not an exception. Before launch, Meta offered teenagers to save their data, and age is confirmed with a face scan or a document.

The ban doesn't work perfectly. According to data from the Australian regulator eSafety, summarized by The Straits Times on June 1, 2026, three months in, a "significant share" of children were still using the banned platforms.

What changed in Indonesia and Malaysia?

In Indonesia, the PP Tunas rule has been in effect since March 2026: social networks are closed to children under 16. At first it covered eight platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox (The Straits Times, 01.06.2026).

In Malaysia, since June 1, 2026, children under 16 can't register accounts on major social networks. The requirement applies to services with at least 8 million users in the country, that is, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The regulator MCMC stated that age verification is possible with an ID card or passport, and the fine for a platform reaches 10 million ringgit.

What happens to a child's account when you move?

The account doesn't disappear the moment you cross the border, but after the move the platform may ask for age verification. If the child is under 16 and the family lives in Australia, Malaysia or Indonesia, the account may be restricted, deactivated or deleted.

The rules depend on where the child is. The Australian law speaks directly of children who are in Australia, and in December 2025 the eSafety regulator suggested that platforms consider a combination of signals to find such users. Citizenship plays no role here.

What to do before you move:

Download the account archive: photos, chats, contacts. Major social networks have a feature to download your data. After a block, this can be harder.
Check which platforms fall under the local law. In Australia, Roblox and Pinterest weren't included in the ban; in Indonesia, Roblox was.
Talk with your child about what will happen in advance, not after the account is closed.

If the family is moving to Brazil, a teenager's account under 16 will have to be linked to an adult's account: this is required by Article 24 of Law No. 15.211 (Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente).

What data does a family hand over during age verification?

Age verification almost always means handing over personal data: a document scan, a face photo or card details. Often the check isn't done by the social network itself but by a third-party provider, and the data stays with them.

In Malaysia, the regulator names checks against an ID card and passport. In Australia, the law prohibits making a document the only option, so platforms offer face-based age estimation.

Practical rules for parents:

choose a method without uploading a document if the platform offers one;
go through verification only inside the official app, not via a link from an email or message;
find out the name of the verification provider before handing over a scan.

We wrote more about the risks of such databases in age verification and what happens to your data.

Is there a social media ban for children in Russia and Kazakhstan?

Russia has no ban. According to a VTsIOM survey from August 30, 2026, almost 60% of Russians support restrictions for children on social networks, but only 12% were in favor of a full ban under 16 (Vedomosti, 24.09.2026).

In Kazakhstan, in June 2026 the government introduced a bill in parliament banning social media registration under 16. On August 26, 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed considering it at the first session of the Kurultai and expanding the use of children's SIM cards (Vedomosti, 26.08.2026). The law hasn't been passed yet. What restrictions already apply in Kazakhstan we collected in VPN in Kazakhstan.

Does a VPN help get around age restrictions?

No. A VPN does not get around age verification, and we don't advise trying. Platforms check age by account, document, face and behavior, not by IP address. Changing the connection country doesn't change the date of birth in the profile and doesn't cancel a completed verification.

If your child installed a VPN themselves, figure out what that changes for parental controls: your child installed a VPN: what to do. Restrictions at the device and account level keep working.

Why a family needs a VPN and why BessyConnect

A family needs a VPN not for social media but to protect traffic: at the airport, in a hotel, café or on school Wi-Fi, the network owner sees where you connect. A tunnel closes that off. In detail: security on public Wi-Fi.

BessyConnect runs on VLESS with Reality camouflage: the traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS. There are more than 100 servers, no logs, no required registration and no device limit, so one subscription covers the phones and laptops of the whole family. There's a trial period. What exactly the service stores: what data BessyConnect stores.

iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV — App Store
Android — Google Play
Android TV — Google Play
All platforms — download page

The app isn't in the Russian App Store, so on iPhone you'll need an Apple ID from another country.

What a VPN doesn't do: it doesn't get around age verification, doesn't replace parental controls, doesn't make you anonymous inside an account (more: does a VPN make you anonymous), won't help with paying by Russian card abroad and won't bring the internet back if it's shut down entirely.

Frequently asked questions

From what age is social media allowed in Australia? From 16. Since December 10, 2025, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X and several other platforms must not allow accounts of children under 16 who are in Australia.

Is the social media ban for children in effect in France? No. Parliament passed a ban under 15 in summer 2026, but on August 14, 2026 the Constitutional Council found it unconstitutional. Emmanuel Macron promised a new law by spring 2027.

Will parents be punished if their child uses social media? In Australia, no: only platforms face fines. In Malaysia and Brazil, fines under the new rules are also aimed at companies.

Will social media be banned for children in Kazakhstan? A bill banning registration under 16 was introduced in parliament in June 2026. As of October 2026 it hasn't been passed.

Will my child's account be deleted if we moved to Malaysia or Australia? You may be asked to verify age, and if the child is under 16, the account may be restricted or closed. Download photos and chats in advance.

Sign In