The Dutch government has endorsed a proposal for an EU-wide minimum age for social media usage, aligning with efforts to implement consistent regulations across Europe. The Netherlands, in collaboration with Spain, has approached the European Commission to advocate for a unified age threshold for accessing social media platforms, coupled with privacy-conscious methods for age verification.
The Dutch coalition government is pushing for an enforceable minimum age of 15 years for social media users throughout Europe. Digital Economy Minister Willemijn Aerdts emphasized that safety standards for children should mirror those in the physical realm, extending them to digital environments.
The European Commission is anticipated to introduce proposals focused on safeguarding children from social media risks as part of its broader discussions on digital policy. This initiative comes amid a wave of national restrictions on social media access for minors. Australia set a precedent by banning users under 16 from significant social media platforms in December 2025, followed by France’s recent ban for those under 15. The UK has also declared plans to limit social media access for users younger than 16, effective from 2027.
As the conversation around age verification advances, privacy advocates have voiced concerns over its implementation. In April, the European Commission launched an age-checking application, but it quickly faced scrutiny when a security researcher demonstrated a method to bypass it, resulting in a subsequent security update from the Commission.