Swedish government proposes 15-year age limit for social media

A Swedish government inquiry has proposed a 15-year minimum age for social media use, according to a preliminary report submitted to Social Affairs Minister Jacob Forssmed on Tuesday.

The recommendation, led by investigator Lisa Englund Krafft, would bar children under 15 from accessing logged-in features on platforms enabling user interaction, content sharing, or discovery. The proposal aligns with growing international efforts to restrict youth access to social media, with 35 countries actively reviewing similar measures, per Unicef.

Australia became the first nation to enforce such a ban in December 2025, setting a 16-year threshold for platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The Philippines, Denmark, and the UK have since announced plans for stricter age verification.

In Sweden, current rules require parental consent for children under 13 to create social media accounts. The proposal has cross-party support, including from Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson, who last October called for a 15-year limit, comparing social media to other “addiction-inducing products” requiring regulation.