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