Poland plans social media ban for children under 15

Poland is preparing legislation to ban social media access for children under 15 and make platforms responsible for verifying users’ ages, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka told.

The ruling Civic Coalition is expected to present the draft law on Friday. Platforms that fail to restrict access to younger users could face fines, although the exact penalty amounts are still under discussion. If approved, the law could take effect by early 2027, News.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.

Minister Nowacka highlighted concerns about children’s mental health and a decline in intellectual skills, saying the measure aims to mitigate these risks.

Several European countries, including Denmark, Greece, France, Spain, and the U.K., have considered similar restrictions amid concerns that social media is harmful or addictive for minors. Australia implemented a comparable law last December, and the U.K. is exploring protections for children online.

The initiative could put Warsaw at odds with U.S. tech companies like Meta and Elon Musk’s X, which have previously resisted restrictions similar to those adopted in Australia.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada