Conditions online can be harrowing. All of us are susceptible to doom-scrolling—absorbing the intensity of global political, humanitarian and climate crises with the wave of our thumb. Not to mention comparing our lives to influencers’ glossy content or our acquaintances’ highlight reels, letting unhealthy comparisons rear their ugly head.

With such dark sides to social, lawmakers worldwide have started to wonder: Do they have a responsibility to enact social media bans that protect children?

For social media marketers, who are already struggling to do their jobs, this means even more stress and brand safety risks. This new legislation may make it more difficult to reach certain audiences, publish content efficiently and stay compliant with ever-changing rule books. Zooming out, as the world’s economies become more connected, it’s going to prove challenging for global brands to comply with so many disparate policies and maintain relevance.

According to a Sprout Pulse Survey, already 50% of social teams say they’ve implemented stricter workflows and pivoted how they’re reaching their target audience in response to social media bans.

To make it easier to navigate, we’ve laid out important facts about proposed social media bans, and asked global marketers for their takes on how social teams should adjust their workflows and content strategies as regulations around social media become more common.

Please note the information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute formal legal advice. Please review our full disclaimer before reading any further.

Proposed social media bans to know

While the state of social media bans is always changing, here are the pieces of legislation currently on the table at the time of publishing—including which networks are included, proposed enactment dates and how the rules would be enforced.

Proposed social media bans in the US

  • The US TikTok ban is an ongoing saga. While the network was originally set to be prohibited from US app stores and internet hosting services on January 18, 2025, the enforcement of the ban was extended. Then extended again on June 17, 2025 for another 90 days. TikTok’s future still remains unknown, and if the ban is enforced, it’s still unclear how it would affect the 170 million US users.
  • The Florida social media ban for users under 14. Late last year, Florida state legislature passed a law that would prohibit anyone under the age of 14 to hold a social media account. The same law also required minors ages 14-16 to get parental approval to open an account. Any account of a person living in Florida under the age of 14 would be legally required to be deleted, by the user or the network. It’s not entirely clear which networks fall under the jurisdiction of the ban. More pressingly, a federal judge ruled against the ban and an ongoing lawsuit prevented the law from being enforced—for now. The law was originally slated to go into effect on July 1, 2025.
  • The Texas social media ban for users under 18. In May 2025, a proposed bill gained traction in the Texas State Legislature that would prohibit the use of all social media sites by minors—including X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more. Any site that allows users to create content is considered a social media network, per the proposal. The bill would’ve also allowed parents to request their childrens’ existing accounts be deleted as well. The bill failed to pass into law, but Texas lawmakers remain keen to pass age restrictions in the near future.

Proposed social media ban in Australia

In late 2024, the Australian government passed one of the strictest social media laws in the world, banning all children younger than 16 from using social or creating accounts. The Australian social media ban would apply to TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, Instagram, and put the onus of keeping those under 16 from using social on the networks themselves. Failure to do so would result in fines up to $50 million AUD. Networks will be expected to verify users’ ages through ID, behavioral signals and biometrics (which has spurred debates about privacy).

While YouTube was originally excluded from the law, the ESafety Commissioner recently confirmed it will include the video sharing network, too.

The ban is set to go into effect in December 2025, which gives the social networks one year to implement systems to enforce the age restriction, and brands targeting younger consumers one year to adjust their Australian go-to-market strategy.

Proposed social media bans in the EU

At the EU level, the 27 member states are free to set their own age limits for social media use. But recently a group of 10 member states—led by Greece—formally requested that the European Commission make age verification mandatory to access social media. While this situation remains fluid, three nations are strongly in favor of minimum age limits to access social networks:

French social media ban for users under 15

In June 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would push for an EU-wide ban on social media for users under 15. He said that if the EU doesn’t pass a total ban, he would start enforcing the ban in France. He didn’t specify when.

The ban is believed to be enacted using age verification technology, but it’s unclear exactly which networks would be affected or how the ban would be enforced.

Spanish social media limitations for users under 16

In May 2025, the Spanish government approved the draft of a new law that raises the minimum age for opening a social media account or subscribing to any type of network from 14 to 16 years old. Minors under 16 will only be able to do so with explicit authorization from their legal guardians.

The law will rely on age verification technology, putting the onus on the networks themselves. The law is still under review by Parliament, but many believe it is likely to be enacted once review is complete. The exact date remains unclear, as well as which networks would be impacted.

Greek social media ban for users under 15

Greece is moving to ban social media for all users under 15. The ban is said to be enforced via mandatory age checks and parental controls. It’s unclear which networks are technically included in the ban, or when it will be enforced.

How brands can prepare for social media bans (and changing consumer behavior)

Even if you aren’t operating within the jurisdiction of a social media ban, one survey suggests that young people are limiting their screen time on their own. Which begs the question: With new legislation and consumer behavior shifts on the horizon, how should brands prepare?

Channel experimentation

Now is the time to start experimenting on other networks and emerging channels.

According to Sam Morgan-Smith, Head of Social at the UK-based PR agency The Romans, “Platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are still culturally powerful, but their viability for reaching younger users is becoming legally precarious particularly from an organic perspective. Brands need to audit their media mix through a lens of future-proofing—prioritizing platforms that can guarantee verified reach and are adapting to age-gating protocols. Think: YouTube Kids, Discord communities with mod oversight and emerging youth-safe ecosystems within the gaming space (Roblox, Fortnite). In short: where you spend has to match where your audience legally can be—and that line is moving fast.”

Tiffany Sayers, co-founder at Australian agency Loft Social, agrees. “Younger consumers are already showing signs of platform fatigue, or at the very least, platform fluidity. Gen Z isn’t loyal to one app; they’re loyal to the experience. So rather than anchoring investment purely by platform, brands should evaluate content fit, consumption patterns and community behaviour. Ask: where is attention moving, not what’s trending today. That means doubling down on community building over broadcast, and treating platforms like TikTok less as ‘social networks’ and more as ‘discovery engines.’ Platform agility is the new brand safety, I reckon.”

Age-aligned content

While the days of trying to reach everyone on social are long behind us, teams can’t only rely on the algorithms to deliver their content to the right people. Legislation headwinds will require brands to be more audience-specific when crafting their content.

Morgan-Smith describes this shift: “The days of blanket posting (or ‘throwing confetti’ as I refer to it) and trusting the algorithm are over. Brands will need to get far more strategic. Content needs to be age-aware and legally defensible.”

Sayers adds, “If underage users are legislatively restricted or platforms are penalized for blurred lines, we’ll need more rigour in how brands brief talent, capture first-party data and define success.”

Morgan-Smith and Sayers outlined what that could look like:

  • Organic content: Instead of speaking directly to teens, brands will shift their tone to reach parents, educators or older siblings. Brands should also stay vigilant to emerging requirements, like network-enforced content tags for specific age groups.
  • Paid social: Marketers should expect to see increased costs to secure audience reach and tighter targeting, while dealing with a smaller youth inventory. Brands will need to double down on transparency and age-tracking tech to remain compliant. Especially if operating across multiple jurisdictions.
  • Influencer marketing: All influencers and creators with young audiences will need to comply with robust age-verification protocols, guardian approvals and platform tracking. This could mean more family creators and less attention paid to follower count alone. It will also influence how briefs are written, with more emphasis on co-creating briefs that ensure brand safety and resonance.

Refined brand safety protocols

While many social teams already have some version of brand safety guidelines, their approach needs to get more sophisticated to not only meet network requirements but to comply with legal regulations and show up ethically.

Sayers explains, “We need to move beyond relying solely on platform policies and start embedding internal frameworks. Outside of the obvious—like disclosure and creator education—this includes tighter briefs with age-appropriate messaging, stronger vetting processes, content archiving and moderation protocols, and legal-reviewed guidelines for giveaways, comments and CTAs (more than just captions). Brands need to build processes for long-term digital governance, even if it hurts their vanity metrics. It requires long-term vision, not short-sightedness.”

Morgan-Smith agrees, adding, “Compliance can’t be a bolt-on—it needs to be built into the workflow. That includes governance playbooks (what’s permissible by age, region and platform), data protocols for consent data, age segmentation and targeting rules, and tools that adhere to emerging publishing rules (tagging, audit trails, etc.). Above all, training is fundamental. Not just for social, but all digital-facing departments need regular updates on global legislation, like Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the US, the UK Online Safety Act and Australia’s age-verification laws to avoid accidental noncompliance.”

Real-world immersion

Though younger consumers are known for operating in a digital ecosystem, you shouldn’t overlook the opportunity IRL activations offer to complement your online efforts. Especially as operating on organic social becomes more complex.

Sayers advises: “We’re seeing a strong shift back to IRL-led storytelling: micro-events, brand installations, peer-to-peer word of mouth and influencer content that lives beyond a grid. UGC and ambassador-led content seeded via paid media also continues to perform even if organic reach declines.”

Morgan-Smith adds, “As direct social access becomes a little more restricted, the strategic (and smart) pivot is toward hybrid ecosystems that bridge digital influence and real-world immersion. Online, brands should explore gaming integrations, instant messaging and youth-safe content platforms. While in real life, we’re seeing a creative resurgence—including university activations, experience-led marketing and retail theater. This isn’t about abandoning digital—it’s about recalibrating to environments where attention, access and trust intersect.”

Navigating social media bans requires agility: Social media marketers’ superpower

As social becomes a more legitimate form of media, legislation is inevitable and can work for everyone’s best interest—brands and consumers alike.

“This is an evolution, not an erosion. Social media is maturing. Compliance challenges signal legitimacy, not demise. It’s moving from the Wild West to a regulated media environment—like TV did decades ago. Rather than abandoning social, this is the moment to reimagine it. Invest in multi-channel ecosystems, build first-party relationships with younger consumers (with consent) and champion network accountability so you can influence how these spaces grow,” says Morgan-Smith.

Sayers adds, “Social still delivers ROI at every stage of the funnel. It just requires smarter systems and more intentional content now. Show leaders that ethical, compliant social is not only possible but powerful. It’s about shifting the conversation with your leaders from ‘how many likes’ to ‘how many hearts and minds.’”

This is just one piece of the larger brand safety picture. Download our comprehensive checklist, which helps you address risks from AI-generated threats to influencer partnerships.

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