Poland to introduce legislation blocking under-16s from social media

WARSAW

Poland’s Digital Affairs Ministry said on Monday it plans to introduce measures this year to block children from using social media by requiring platforms to verify users’ ages when accounts are created.

Deputy Digital Affairs Minister Dariusz Standerski wrote on US social media company X that Poland should “cut off young people aged under 16 from social media.”

Standerski said that when a user creates a social media account, they will be asked to confirm their age, after which a credential will be generated in a digital identity wallet.

Standerski said Poland is coordinating with other member states testing similar systems and that the European Commission is working on a harmonised age-verification approach across the 27-member bloc.

The Polish proposal aligns with moves elsewhere in Europe following Australia’s decision to restrict social media access for under-16s.

France is preparing legislation that would ban social media for under-15s starting in the 2026 school year, and Denmark has also announced plans for restrictions on under-15s.

In November, the European Parliament backed a report calling for an EU-wide minimum age of 16 for social media access, while allowing those aged 13 to 15 to use platforms with parental consent, alongside stronger protections for minors.

In late December, Poland urged the European Commission to investigate TikTok over AI-generated content that Polish officials said appeared to promote anti-EU narratives.

Standerski said the government expects to have the necessary technical tools in place in 2026 and believes that makes this year “the right time” to introduce the regulation.