Austria to ban social media for children under 14

Austria's government has approved legislation that would ban children under the age of 14 from using social media and require mandatory age verification for access to adult websites.

The bill has been submitted for parliamentary consideration and is expected to take effect in 2027, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

Social media platforms will have a transition period until April 1, 2027, to comply.

Under the proposal, platforms will be required either to remove addictive features or restrict access for minors. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 6% of their annual global turnover.

The legislation also requires users to verify they are at least 18 years old before accessing adult websites through the ID Austria system or a private verification provider. Websites will receive only confirmation that the user is over 18, without access to additional personal information.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov