France and the WHO advocates for identification checks on social media platforms

The French government and nations world-wide are developing a framework for regulating internet access, presented under the guise of child health recommendations.

Emmanuel Macron, [1] the French President and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, [2] the World Health Organisation Director-General issued [3] a joint statement on July 1, characterizing social media, gaming, and generative artificial intelligence as significant influences on children's physical and mental well-being. They are advocating for mandatory age verification, which would necessitate identity checks, required redesigns of digital platforms, and the establishment of safety-by-design regulations to be enacted into law in many democratic nations. “From social media and online gaming to generative AI systems, digital environments are powerful determinants of people’s health. That is especially true of children and young people. Around the world, childhood is being reprogrammed by digital technologies that shape how young people learn, play, and connect,” said Macron and Ghebreyesus in their statement.

Age verification processes necessitate a clear understanding of user identity, In order to ascertain that a user meets the required age criteria, platforms must first establish the identity of that user. This involves cross-referencing a stated birthdate with biometric data, financial records, or government-issued identification, transforming a simple login into an identity verification procedure. While these systems aim to restrict access for children, they accumulate data on the adults who remain, as no platform can accurately assess the age of its adolescent users without also taking into account the ages of all other users present. Macron and Ghebreyesus concluded their statement by saying, “This process demands sustained collaboration across governments, industry, civil society, and public-health institutions, built on a shared commitment to maximizing benefits and minimizing harms. More transparency, data sharing, health-promoting design choices, and corporate support for effective safety standards, especially for minors, are essential. The WHO can play its convening role and influence in setting norms and standards. Our children and young people are not experimental subjects, a captive market, or a commodity. Together, we can and must shape digital environments that protect and support their healthy development. The choices we make now will echo for generations.”

The leaders are implementing age-assurance protocols that mandate platforms to collect more identifying information from a greater number of individuals, providing companies and governments with a new rationale to ascertain the identities of those operating each account. A number of governments are currently implementing restrictions on social media access. Australia has instituted [4] a ban that prevents individuals under the age of 16 from maintaining social media accounts, marking it as the first national prohibition of its kind. Meanwhile, France’s Senate approved [5] a bill designed to limit social media access for children younger than 15, as part of a wider initiative to regulate minors' use of online platforms.

In March, 2026 Indonesia prohibited [6] access for individuals under the age of 16. Meutya Hafid, who [7] is the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said in a media statement that she has signed a government regulation prohibiting children under the age of 16 from having accounts on high-risk digital platforms. “The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms,” Hafid said.

Spain has revealed its intention to implement similar measures, during the World Governments Summit held in Dubai, Pedro Sánchez, [7] the Prime Minister of Spain announced that his government [8] plans to implement new legislation that would make social media executives criminally accountable for not removing “illegal or hateful” content. “Our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone. A space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence. We will no longer accept that, we will protect them from the digital Wild West. We will turn algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content into a new criminal offense, spreading hate must come at a cost,” said Sánchez.

While Ireland [9] is collaborating with European Union partners to develop age-assurance systems targeting this age group. The government of Ireland is seeking to introduce [10] digital identity tools to facilitate age verification, while aiming to minimize the amount of personal information shared online. This conversation about verification is closely associated with the rising adoption of [11] the European Digital Identity Wallet. The United Kingdom plans [12] to prohibit platforms from providing services to users under the age of 16, while also implementing restrictions on livestreaming A spokesperson for [13] MP Andy Burnham told The Mirror, “Andy is committed to keeping kids safe online, and has been vocal in his support of age restrictions for kids using social media. He knows this ban is a critical first step to keeping kids safe online and preventing further tragedies for families. The task now is to build on the consensus across political parties to make sure it’s enforced in full, and delivered with the urgency this issue demands.”

However, [14] the Molly Rose Foundation are opposed to a ban and have called on Andy Burnham to take a more assertive approach in addressing the design elements of social media platforms. They caution that a ban might create a misleading sense of safety, potentially driving children into more dangerous areas of the internet and leaving them vulnerable as they approach age 16. Andy Burrows who is the CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation said, “Keir Starmer rushed into announcing a social media ban without a clear plan to implement it and it’s now up to Andy Burnham to sort out a meaningful strategy. A Burnham Government will need to be clear headed about the likely impacts and limitations of a ban, and that means setting regulatory incentives that are up to the task and prioritising safety-by-design regulation across the stack, from social media to AI.”

In February 2026, The Molly Rose Foundation [15] submitted a written evidence to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee expressing opposition to proposals for a ban on social media. The organisation argues that such bans may give parents a misleading sense of security, as preliminary reports from Australia indicate that a significant number of children's social media accounts continue to remain active. “Social media bans are blunt and simplistic responses that could trigger a range of unintended consequences. They fail to tackle the business models and commercial incentives that underpin high risk, engagement based harms. Furthermore, a ban will likely stall regulatory progress across other parts of the stack including on gaming sites, messaging platforms and AI products where chronic and acute harms continue to proliferate,” said the Molly Rose Foundation.

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