The Dutch government has backed plans for a minimum age for using social media across the European Union.
The Netherlands and Spain have submitted a joint proposal to the European Commission calling for one minimum age across EU countries. They also want age verification systems that protect users’ privacy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce proposals aimed at limiting children’s access to social media during her State of the Union speech to the European Parliament next Wednesday.
“In the physical world we do not accept that products are unsafe for children,” junior digital economy minister Willemijn Aerdts said. “The same standard must apply online.”
The D66, VVD and CDA coalition previously agreed to push for an enforceable European minimum age of 15. Although the joint proposal with Spain does not specify an age, Aerdts said 15 remains the Dutch government’s preferred limit.
Several countries have already introduced or announced restrictions. Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from platforms including Facebook and Instagram in December 2025. France introduced a ban for under-15s this month, while the UK plans to introduce restrictions for under-16s from 2027.
However, the proposal has raised concerns among privacy advocates, particularly over how platforms would verify users’ ages without collecting sensitive personal information.
The European Commission launched an age-checking app in April, but a security researcher found a way to bypass the system within hours. The commission later released a fix for the problem.
