The Polish government is preparing new legislation to ban children under 15 from using social media, mandating that online platforms take strict responsibility for verifying users' ages. Violators could face heavy fines.
Barbara Nowacka, Poland's Minister of Education, told Bloomberg News that the Civic Coalition, the ruling party, will submit a preliminary draft of the bill this Friday, with the law expected to come into force by early 2027.
Nowacka stated that the government is concerned about the mental health issues of children and youth, as well as declining intellectual abilities. She emphasized that discussions are ongoing regarding the level of fines technology companies will face if they allow underage users to access their platforms.
Poland is not the first European country to push such measures. Previously, countries including Denmark, Greece, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom have considered or implemented restrictions on youths' access to social media amid debates about potential negative impacts and addictive behaviors among minors.
The UK government revealed in January that it is considering additional online child protection measures, while Australia has already enacted similar legislation as of December last year.
However, Poland's measures may face resistance from U.S. tech companies like Meta and X, some of which have previously opposed similar restrictions after Australia passed its regulatory law last year.
This move reflects a global trend of governments tightening regulations on children's social media use, amidst ongoing debates about balancing digital freedom with protecting youth mental health in the online era.
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