Ireland Proposes Social Media Ban for Under-16s as Global Restrictions Accelerate
Ireland joins Australia, UK, France and others in restricting under-16s from social media platforms, with a trial mooted for early 2026.
Ireland Moves Toward Social Media Restrictions for Young Users
Ireland has announced proposed restrictions on social media for children under 16, with ministers given a rough outline of the plan and a trial mooted for the first half of 2026.
According to Tánaiste Simon Harris, three-quarters of those surveyed in an Irish poll were in favour of restricting children’s access to social media, signalling strong public backing for the measure.
A Global Movement Takes Shape
Ireland’s proposal comes as part of a wider international push to limit youth access to social platforms. Australia became the first country to introduce a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025. The Australian ban requires tech companies to enforce restrictions against users under 16 creating or maintaining accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, Threads and X, with fines up to AUD$49.5 million (approximately €28 million) for non-compliance.
Following Australia’s lead, announcements have come from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Norway, New Zealand, Malaysia and India.
In January 2026, the UK House of Commons voted to ban under-16s from using social media. France passed a bill banning social media use for under-15s, requiring the measure to be enforced from September 2026 for new accounts, with platforms to deactivate existing non-compliant accounts by 31 December 2026.
Emerging Research in the Space
Meanwhile, academic scrutiny of online behaviour continues to intensify. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace published Issue 3, Volume 20 on 26 June 2026, containing twelve articles covering online incivility, victimisation, digital piracy, and social media presentation.
The journal is implementing a summer break for new submissions from 16 June to 31 August 2026, with the submission portal reopening on 1 September 2026.
Source: TheJournal.ie
Developments since publication
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Cyberpsychology journal published Issue 3 of Volume 20 on June 26, 2026. Source
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Issue 3 of Cyberpsychology Volume 20 contains twelve articles covering topics including online incivility and victimisation, digital piracy, and presentation on social media. Source
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All articles in Cyberpsychology Issue 3, Volume 20 are published as open access. Source
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The Cyberpsychology journal experienced a sharp increase in submissions in 2025. Source
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The European Commission adopted an action plan against cyberbullying in February 2026. Source
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President von der Leyen is seeking expert advice on possible age restrictions for social media in Europe in response to online risks. Source
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The European Commission will launch an EU-wide inquiry on the impact of social media and excessive screentime on the wellbeing and mental health of young people. Source
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The European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) was adopted on May 11, 2022. Source
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The Commission released an age verification blueprint in July 2025 and is piloting the solution with member states, platforms and users. Source
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The Commission made €63.2 million available in April 2026 to support AI innovation in health and online safety. Source
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A study by UCD's Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics conducted five focus groups with 87 transition year students in Irish schools. Source
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The study, led by Megan Nyhan, will be presented at the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) Interaction Design and Children conference in Brighton later in June 2026. Source
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Participants in the UCD study called for age-appropriate content and access to algorithm-editing tools that give more control over what they see. Source
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Students in the UCD study expressed frustration with 'unwanted sexual attention' from older users and screen time limiters that were 'performative' and not effective. Source
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The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) calls for large platforms to conduct risk assessments 'in consultation' with groups affected by systemic risks, including teens. Source
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Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace published Issue 3 of Volume 20 on June 26, 2026, with twelve high-quality articles. Source
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Issue 3 of Volume 20 covers online incivility and victimisation, digital piracy, presentation on social media, and related topics. Source
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Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace experienced a sharp increase in submissions during 2025. Source
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Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace has an Impact Factor of 2.6 for 2025. Source