Belgium is moving to become the latest European country to crack down on children’s social-media use, after a new health report warned of mounting physical and psychological harms linked to online platforms.
The report, issued by the Superior Health Council (SHC), concluded that minors need “real protection” online, including a minimum age for accessing social media, Federal Digitalisation Minister Vanessa Matz said.
A social media age limit would go beyond Belgium’s existing nationwide smartphone ban for all primary and secondary school pupils, which has been in place since the start of the academic year.
Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter said the SHC’s proposed minimum age of 13 was “appropriate,” adding that enforcement would need to be significantly tightened.
The Flemish socialist party Vooruit is calling for a stricter limit, arguing that children should be barred from social media until they turn 15. Party leader Conner Rousseau said, “Our children are being poisoned right before our eyes. Brain rot. Dangerous TikTok challenges. Toxic ideas.”
Sammy Mahdi, leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), also favours a minimum age of 15.
TikTok and Meta are the Marlboro of this generation. … If we think something is harmful, why don’t we build in more caution, especially for children? How long will we allow tech billionaires to ruin our children’s brains?
Parliament will soon begin work on “protecting young people online and ending malicious anonymity on the internet,” Minister Matz said.
Elsewhere in Europe, governments are likewise tightening rules. Denmark plans to ban social-media use for children under 15, while allowing parental opt-ins from age 13. In France, lawmakers have proposed a full ban for under-15s and a nighttime “digital curfew” for 15- to 18-year-olds.
In November, the European Parliament backed a recommendation to block under-16s from accessing social media without their parents’ consent.
Since October 2025, Greece has automatically blocked access to social media platforms for under-16s, becoming the first EU member to block social media access for minors.
Australia has moved furthest. Its new law — billed as a world first — takes effect on December 10th and prohibits anyone under 16 from creating or keeping accounts on platforms including Facebook, X, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Companies face fines of Aus$49.5 million (€28 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.
