What's coming up

HB 46 (2025-26)

App Store Accountability Act. Introduced Jan 17, 2025 and referred to House Labor & Commerce, where it remains in the 34th Legislature (2025-26). Not enacted; the Jan 1, 2026 date in the bill text is its proposed operative date only.

Social-media bills (2025-26)

No age-verification law is enacted. In 2026 the Massachusetts House passed a bill that would bar under-14s from social media (and require parental consent for 15- and 16-year-olds), and Gov. Healey separately proposed measures including age verification and screen-time limits. The 2025-26 session remains in progress; nothing has been signed.

HB 4429 / SB 284 (2025-26)

Several measures are pending in the 2025-26 session: SB 901 (adult-content age verification) and the SB 284 / HB 4429 device/app-store pair, all in committee, while the Michigan Senate passed the "Kids Over Clicks" social-media bill. Lawmakers have also floated restricting VPNs used to bypass age checks. Nothing is enacted yet.

SB 648 (2026)

SB 648, an adult-content age-verification bill, was heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January 2026. It is pending; New Hampshire has no enacted age-verification law and previously rejected a social-media age-verification proposal.

Child online-safety bills (2026-27)

No age-verification law is enacted. In 2026 several child online-safety bills were advancing -- limits on targeted ads to minors, restrictions on addictive design features, and parental controls including age verification for mature content -- with Gov. Sherrill's public support. Nothing has been signed.

HB 301 (2025-26)

HB 301 would bar under-14s from holding social-media accounts, require parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, and require platforms to verify that users are at least 16, with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation. It passed the North Carolina House 106-6 in 2025 and advanced through the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee in April 2026; it remains pending in the Senate.

HB 84 -- Innocence Act (2026)

HB 84, the Innocence Act, would reinforce Ohio's adult-content age-verification regime (already in force via HB 96) by creating an Innocence Act Enforcement Fund and clarifying the Attorney General's authority to enforce against sites distributing material obscene or harmful to minors. The Ohio House passed it on March 18, 2026, and it was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 25, 2026.

SB 603 (2025-26)

SB 603, an adult-content age-verification bill, was introduced in 2025 and referred to the Judiciary Committee. A separate social-media measure (SB 22) is also pending. Pennsylvania has no enacted age-verification law; the 2025-26 session continues.

S. 1586 / H.R. 3149 (119th Congress)

Would require app stores to verify the age category of every user and obtain verifiable parental consent before a minor can download an app or make a purchase, with enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and the states. Introduced in May 2025 and considered in committee, including a House Energy and Commerce markup, it has not been enacted. Supporters say it puts age checks and parental consent at the app-store level; privacy and free-expression critics say it would make everyone verify their age to use an app store, putting sensitive ID data at risk and burdening access to lawful speech.

S. 737 / H.R. 1623 (119th Congress)

Would require websites that make available content harmful to minors, such as pornography, to use technology to verify that users are adults and block minors, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. It bars simple click-to-confirm age checks and would route user IP addresses, including known VPN and proxy addresses, through the verification system. Introduced in February 2025 and referred to committee, it has not been enacted. Supporters say it shields minors from explicit content by the least restrictive means; privacy and free-expression critics warn it forces adults to verify identity to view lawful content and sweeps in VPN users.

S. 278 (119th Congress)

Would bar children under 13 from holding social-media accounts, require platforms to delete existing under-13 accounts and their data, ban personalized recommendation feeds for users under 17, and require schools that receive federal E-Rate funds to block social media. It would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced it in February 2025 and a House companion followed, but it has not been enacted. Supporters cite youth mental health; critics, including digital-rights groups, say it cuts young people off from lawful expression and pushes platforms toward more age verification.

Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), H.R. 7757, 119th Congress -- revised KOSA + SCREEN Act + SAFE BOTS Act + COPPA 2.0

On June 29, 2026 the U.S. House passed the KIDS Act 267-117 under a fast-track suspension vote and sent it to the Senate -- the first time a version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has cleared the House floor. The package bundles a revised KOSA with the SCREEN Act, the SAFE BOTS Act, a COPPA update for teens, and other internet bills. The revised KOSA drops its 'duty of care' but requires covered platforms to enforce policies addressing broad content categories -- drugs, tobacco, cannabis, gambling, alcohol, and financial fraud -- whenever a service 'knows or should have known' a user is a child (under 13) or teen (13 to 16). The SCREEN Act piece forces adult-content sites to verify users are adults; SAFE BOTS restricts AI chatbot features for minors; other provisions reach direct, disappearing, and encrypted messages and tighten data brokers' use of minors' data. It sets a federal floor that can override weaker state laws while still letting states pass stricter ones. Supporters say it protects minors; EFF and other critics warn it pressures services to age-check everyone, pushes platforms to police lawful speech, and undermines encryption. It now faces an uphill fight in the Senate, where the dropped 'duty of care' standard is a sticking point. UPDATE Aug 5, 2026: the Senate Commerce Committee advanced its OWN version of KOSA (S. 1748) unanimously by voice vote, alongside the SCREEN Act, the Youth AI Privacy Act and the CHATBOT Act, setting up a Senate floor vote -- and a direct collision with the House. The House package dropped KOSA's duty-of-care provision; Senate co-authors Blackburn and Blumenthal called the House version dead on arrival, and the Senate bill keeps the duty of care that a platform must exercise reasonable care to prevent enumerated harms to minors. Chairman Cruz predicts floor passage and a conference fight. Opponents (ACLU, FIRE, Fight for the Future, CDT, NetChoice) warn both versions drive age verification, reduce anonymity and incentivize content removal; backers now include OpenAI, Apple, Microsoft, X and Snap, some of whom shaped the Senate text. Calendar risk cuts both ways: the committee acted one day before August recess, and few legislative days remain before the midterms. As of Oct 23, 2026 no Senate floor vote on KOSA or the KIDS Act has been reported, and the two chambers' versions remain unreconciled.

H.R. 8250 (119th Congress)

Would require operating-system providers to verify the age of every user at account setup and, for users under 18, require a parent or guardian to verify the user's date of birth, while giving app developers an interface to confirm a user's age category. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce it and issue rules on data security and parental controls. It places age verification at the device/OS level rather than on individual sites.

H.R. 6488 (119th Congress)

The Reducing Exploitative Social Media Exposure for Teens Act (RESET Act) would prohibit covered platforms from allowing anyone they know to be a minor -- defined as under 16 -- to create or maintain an account. Platforms would have to identify known minor accounts within 60 days of enactment, notify those users within 180 days, terminate the accounts within 30 days of notice, and delete the minors' personal data. Introduced in the House in the 119th Congress and taken up among a slate of online-safety bills at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing, it has not been enacted.

H.R. 6333 (119th Congress)

The Parents Over Platforms Act (POPA), introduced December 1, 2025 by Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Erin Houchin (R-IN), would split age-assurance duties between app stores and app developers. App stores (application distribution providers) would determine or estimate a user's age category and pass an age signal to developers with the user's or a parent's consent; developers would then block minors from adult-only apps, obtain consent for age-restricted content, and not serve minors personalized ads. Parents could block minors from acquiring apps. The FTC would enforce it, and it would preempt conflicting state laws. Forwarded by subcommittee to full committee; not enacted.

Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act (GUARD Act), S. 3062 + House companion, 119th Congress

The GUARD Act would impose federal age verification on all users of AI chatbots and ban minors from AI 'companions' -- chatbots designed to simulate friendship, emotional support, or therapeutic conversation. Covered companies would have to verify age via government-issued ID or another commercially reasonable method, block minors from companion bots, repeatedly disclose that the user is talking to a machine, and face civil and criminal penalties if their systems expose children to sexual content or encourage self-harm. It gives parents no opt-out. Introduced by a bipartisan group led by Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal (with Katie Britt, Mark Warner, and Chris Murphy) and a House companion from Reps. Blake Moore and Valerie Foushee, it advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2026. Critics including EFF and Reason warn it would push ID checks onto everyone and chill lawful speech.

Safe Digital Environments bill (5379-D-2024)

NO LAW HAS PASSED. The 2024 bill (5379-D-2024) never got a committee report or a vote in the Chamber of Deputies and has likely expired under Argentina's rule that unpassed bills lapse after two parliamentary years. A newer bill, 1114-D-2026 by Deputy Maria Jimena Lopez, would bar under-13s from social media, require parental consent for 14 to 16-year-olds, and make 'robust' age verification a condition for any platform operating in Argentina, with fines up to 30% of monthly billing and possible suspension. No committee vote had been reported as of Oct 13, 2026.

Under-14 social-media age limit (draft amendment to the Audiovisual Media Services Act, AMD-G; consultation Jul-Sep 2026)

AUSTRIA'S UNDER-14 DRAFT LAW WENT OUT FOR CONSULTATION ON JUL 27, 2026 AND DREW 221 RESPONSES. The government of Chancellor Christian Stocker (OVP), with Vice Chancellor and Media Minister Andreas Babler (SPO), agreed in March 2026 to pursue the ban. The draft amends the Audiovisual Media Services Act (AMD-G) and sets 14 as the minimum age for platforms with addictive features such as recommendation algorithms, endless scrolling, autoplay and reward systems. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat are named; messengers such as WhatsApp are excluded. Users must prove their age once when creating an account, existing accounts must be checked when the law takes effect, ID Austria is one of several accepted methods, and verification providers are not supposed to be able to track where or when a proof is used. Very large platforms face fines of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover. The draft was notified to the European Commission, and the government's target start is January 2027 if that goes smoothly. When the consultation closed on Sep 21, 2026, the digital-rights group epicenter.works warned that a ban for some users means a digital ID check for all users; the data protection authority asked for GDPR and EU-law compatibility; and the Federal Chancellery's constitutional service flagged possible legal obstacles, citing the French Conseil constitutionnel ruling. FPO media spokesperson Christian Hafenecker called the draft censorship; the psychologists' association BOP supports the age line, and youth-protection bodies asked for tiered rules for 14- to 18-year-olds and for messengers to be included. Not yet law. NOT ESTABLISHED: when the Nationalrat votes, which regulator enforces it, and whether the EU standstill period was extended to end-October.

Under-15 social-media minimum age (federal avant-projet de loi by Digital Minister Vanessa Matz; Vooruit resolution DOC 56 1260/001)

BELGIUM'S FEDERAL DIGITAL MINISTER IS DRAFTING AN UNDER-15 SOCIAL-MEDIA BAN THAT HER OWN COALITION PARTNER CALLS USELESS; NO BILL HAS REACHED THE CHAMBER. After a December 2025 Superior Health Council report on social media and young people's wellbeing, Vooruit MPs Funda Oru and Oskar Seuntjens filed a resolution on Dec 8, 2025 (DOC 56 1260/001) asking the federal government to work out how Belgium could run a national ban up to age 15, to press the EU for a reliable age-verification app and, failing that, to study verification through itsme or MyGov.be. Federal Digital Minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engages) is preparing a preliminary draft law (avant-projet) setting 15 as the minimum age with age checks through apps such as itsme and MyGov; on Jul 23, 2026 MR president Georges-Louis Bouchez called the idea useless, ineffective and counter-productive and said parents, not the state, should protect children, so the De Wever government's Arizona coalition is split and the text had not gone to a first reading in government as of September 2026. The Flemish government takes a different line: Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter told the Flemish Parliament's media committee on Apr 30, 2026 that platforms must themselves enforce their existing 13-plus limit under the Digital Services Act, that a general age-verification duty would be disproportionate and that member states can set limits only for harmful platforms; she said Matz's national verification approach would conflict with EU rules. Belgium's regions and communities share competence, and the Brussels question remains open. As with every age line, enforcing it means checking every user's age, adults included. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the Matz draft has been approved in first reading, its verification method and penalties, and whether any text will reach the Chamber before the EU acts.

Safe Social Media Act, Bill C-34 (first reading Jun 10, 2026)

CANADA'S BILL C-34 WOULD BAR UNDER-16S FROM SOCIAL-MEDIA ACCOUNTS; IT HAS HAD FIRST READING ONLY. (An earlier version of this entry said under-14; the bill's line is 16.) Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller introduced the Safe Social Media Act in the House of Commons on Jun 10, 2026. Regulated social-media services would have to keep under-16s off, with the list of covered services and the measures left to regulations. Gaming platforms such as Roblox are outside the age limit, and AI chatbots fall under the regulatory duties but not the age line. A service can seek an exemption by showing adequate child safeguards. Platforms must also assess risks, use age-appropriate design and file digital safety plans with a new Digital Safety Commission, which could fine the greater of CAD 10 million or 3% of gross global revenue. The bill does not set an age-verification method; that is left to the regulator, and it does not say how adults would be told apart from under-16s. It follows two earlier government online-harms bills that died. Separately, Senate bill S-209 would require age verification before pornography is made available to under-18s. Not yet law. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether second-reading debate has started since Parliament returned in September 2026, and any start date.

Expediente 25.336 -- Ley para regular el acceso y uso de plataformas digitales por parte de menores de edad (under-14 ban)

COSTA RICA'S UNDER-14 SOCIAL-MEDIA BILL CLEARED COMMITTEE ON APR 14, 2026 AND AWAITS ITS FIRST PLENARY DEBATE. Delfino.cr reported on Apr 15, 2026 that the Comision de Juventud, Ninez y Adolescencia gave a favourable report to Expediente 25.336, by deputy Maria Marta Carballo (PUSC), with Melina Ajoy (PUSC), Pedro Rojas and Geison Valverde (PLN), Yonder Salas (Nueva Republica) and independent Johana Obando voting in favour and no votes against reported. The bill bars under-14s from accounts on platforms with social interaction, allowing only certified children's versions without interaction-based recommendation algorithms; 14- to 17-year-olds must pass age verification, at minimum with the TIM minor's ID card issued by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, plus verifiable guardian consent. It bans personalised ads to minors, requires addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay off by default, parental dashboards, voice chat off by default on game platforms for minors, and identity checks and disclosure on AI chatbots. Micitt and the telecom regulator Sutel would enforce, with fines of 15 to 50 base salaries (about CRC 6.9 million to 23.1 million) and powers to order redesigns or temporary suspensions. An earlier version of this entry gave the file number as 25536 from a secondary source; Delfino's reporting gives 25.336. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the Plenario has held the first debate and any amendment motions filed.

Under-15 social-media ban (government discussions, no bill)

NOT YET A BILL. On Feb 8, 2026 Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in a video on his own channels that he supports banning social media for children under 15, citing experts, and Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek told CNN Prima News the government was negotiating with experts and service providers and hoped to propose legislation in 2026. No ministry had been assigned, no draft had been published and no age-verification method had been described as of Feb 8, 2026. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether a bill has since been drafted or filed in the Chamber of Deputies, the sponsoring ministry, and how age would be checked.

Under-15 social-media age limit (draft law, hearing 71440; no parental opt-out)

DENMARK'S UNDER-15 DRAFT HAS NO PARENTAL OPT-OUT; ITS CONSULTATION CLOSED ON OCT 5, 2026. The Agency for Digital Government published the draft law on an age limit for children's access to certain digital services on Sep 7, 2026 (hearing 71440). It sets 15 as the minimum age for profiles on social networks and video platforms that the European Commission has designated as very large online platforms and that require a login; professional networks are exempt. The ministry names the national digital identity wallet as a way to check age. The November 2025 agreement under the previous government would have let parents allow 13- and 14-year-olds on; the new government said in June 2026 it would drop that exemption and restart talks, and Ritzau reported on Sep 6, 2026 that the option is gone from the draft. Digitalisation Minister Christina Egelund (Moderaterne) is responsible. The government says the bill goes to the Folketing in early 2027 and would take effect on Jul 1, 2027. Not yet law. NOT ESTABLISHED: what the consultation responses said, which authority enforces the limit, and the fines.

Under-15 social-media ban proposal (2026)

A February 2026 proposal in Ecuador's National Assembly would ban social media for under-15s and fine non-compliant platforms up to 5% of local annual revenue.

Children's social-media use legislation (announced, no bill text)

EGYPT'S PARLIAMENT SAID ON JAN 25, 2026 IT WILL DRAFT A LAW RESTRICTING CHILDREN'S SOCIAL-MEDIA USE, A DAY AFTER PRESIDENT EL-SISI ASKED FOR ONE. The House of Representatives announced in a statement late on Jan 25, 2026 that it would work on legislation to regulate children's use of social media, after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Jan 24 urged the government and lawmakers to consider restrictions until children can handle the platforms properly and pointed to Australia's under-16 ban and British proposals as models (AP via Arab News, Jan 26, 2026). Lawmakers framed the goal as ending the digital chaos children face and said they would consult the government and expert bodies; a 2024 report by the state-linked National Center for Social and Criminological Research found about half of Egyptians under 18 use social media. No age threshold, verification method, committee, bill number or timetable has been published. Egypt already blocks hundreds of websites under the 2018 cybercrime law, and an age-verification regime would add identity checks to that filtering. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether a bill has been tabled as of Oct 29, 2026, the proposed minimum age, and how age would be proved.

Draft minors-online protection law

Spain's data-protection authority issued age-verification guidance in 2023 and the country is building a national digital-identity age-check tool, with adult-content sites expected to verify age. In February 2026, PM Sanchez announced plans to bar under-16s from social media with mandatory age verification (calling the current environment a "digital wild west"). A binding national statute is still in progress; Spain is also piloting the EU age-verification app. UPDATE, Oct 2026: Spain's organic law on protecting minors in digital environments went back to the Congress Justice Committee in late September 2026 for drafting-stage (ponencia) talks. As it stands, under-16s would be kept off social networks carrying content harmful to children, and could use platforms the regulator (CNMC) approves only with parental consent; algorithmic amplification of harmful content would become a crime, with liability for executives who know and do nothing. How age would be verified is not set out. No committee vote date is published.

Under-15 social-media age limit (Prime Minister's implementation inquiry; no bill)

FINLAND'S PRIME MINISTER ORDERED AN INQUIRY ON NOV 24, 2025 INTO HOW AN UNDER-15 SOCIAL-MEDIA LIMIT WOULD WORK; NINE MONTHS LATER HIS OWN PARTY WAS STILL ASKING FOR A BILL. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (both National Coalition) said on Nov 24, 2025 that voluntary recommendations no longer suffice and proposed restricting social media for children under 15, following Sweden, Norway and Denmark; Orpo launched a study of supervision, definitions and possible exemptions. A Ministry of Social Affairs and Health working group reported over the summer of 2026 that 97 percent of 11- to 13-year-olds use social media and more than a third for three or more hours a day. On Aug 18, 2026 National Coalition MP Castren, citing a Toivon Iro Research poll showing 53 percent support for a ban, said no bill had been submitted and asked the government to pass one this term, define the covered services, decide enforcement, put the duty on platforms and avoid blocking study and hobbies, and called on the Finns Party to let it proceed. Finland's existing age gate is the strong-ID requirement for state gambling, recorded separately. NOT ESTABLISHED: who leads the inquiry and its deadline, the verification method, penalties, the enforcing authority and whether a bill reaches the Eduskunta before the 2027 election.

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (under-16 social-media plan)

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Royal Assent Apr 29, 2026) created powers to restrict under-16s' access to social media and to set the data-processing age of consent (13-16). On June 15, 2026 the government announced a ban on under-16s opening social-media accounts, enforced by ID upload or facial-age scan, targeted for spring 2027. Binding regulations are still being drafted, so this is a committed plan rather than an in-force requirement. UPDATE, OCT 2026: giving evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Oct 20, 2026 (HC 528), Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes said the government's regulations setting the under-16 restriction were expected before Christmas 2026, that Ofcom would consult at the same time on what highly effective age assurance should look like at age 16, and that enforcement would begin once the requirements are in law in 2027; MPs described the rules as taking effect in spring 2027. She said the government was also considering requirements for 17- and 18-year-olds, and that many teenagers may use VPNs to get round the limit, as in Australia, which she said would be a matter for government rather than Ofcom. Ofcom's study on age assurance for over-16s, due by the end of October 2026, had not been found published as of Oct 29, 2026. NOT ESTABLISHED: the date the regulations are laid, the start date, and the penalties.

Proposed national-ID check for pornographic websites (Jun 2026)

PROPOSAL, NOT LAW. On June 4, 2026 Ghana's communications minister, Sam George, proposed that people show a national ID card or driver's licence before they can open pornographic websites, pointing to the UK's age checks as the model. He said the plan would go to Cabinet but gave no date and named no bill. The proposal as reported covers adult sites, not social media. No Cabinet decision had been reported as of Oct 13, 2026. Requiring a national ID to view legal adult content would tie browsing to a government identity record.

Age-verification proposal (Supreme Court direction; DPDP)

In 2025 India's Supreme Court declined to ban under-13s itself but directed the central government to propose age verification for social media; as of late 2025 no such law had passed. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act separately requires parental consent to process data of under-18s, with rules still being finalised. DPDP RULES NOTIFIED NOV 14, 2025, WITH CHILDREN'S CONSENT DUE MAY 14, 2027. MeitY published the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 in the Gazette on Nov 14, 2025 and set up the four-member Data Protection Board in the National Capital Region the same day. Commencement is phased: Consent Manager registration from Nov 14, 2026, and the substantive duties -- including verifiable parental consent before processing any under-18's data, with the parent verified as an identifiable adult using identity details or a virtual age-and-identity token from an authorised entity -- from May 14, 2027. Some classes of data fiduciary and purposes, including tracking a child's real-time location for safety, are exempt from the consent and no-tracking rules (Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas alert). No social-media minimum age has been enacted. NOT ESTABLISHED: which entities will issue the age tokens and how platforms will verify parents at scale.

Frumvarp um aldurstakmark barna a samfelagsmidlum -- draft bill restricting children's social media access until the year they turn 15 (consultation from Sep 25, 2026)

ICELAND PUT A DRAFT LAW OUT FOR CONSULTATION ON SEP 25, 2026 THAT WOULD KEEP CHILDREN OFF SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL THE YEAR THEY TURN 15 -- AND PUTS THE DUTY ON PARENTS, NOT PLATFORMS. The Ministry of Education and Children published the draft bill on the government consultation portal (Samradsgatt case 4333) on Sep 25, 2026. It restricts children's access to social media until their fifteenth year: a child gains the right to independent access in the year he or she turns 15, and until then parents and guardians are responsible. Education and Children's Minister Inga Saeland said children should be allowed to be children and that Iceland would be among the first European countries with such a limit. The release cites harm to wellbeing, development and safety from early use and says the law is meant to support parents' upbringing role. Current practice, per the government portal island.is, is a 13-year threshold under which younger children need parental consent to register. Iceland had been watching Norway's bill, which puts the duty on platforms with third-party age checks; the Icelandic text as described does not. NOT ESTABLISHED: the consultation deadline, which platforms are covered, how age would be verified, any penalties, the enforcing body, when the bill goes to the Althingi and a start date.

DDL 1136 (Mennuni/Madia) -- under-15 social-network ban with platform age verification; stalled in the Senate 8th Committee

ITALY'S UNDER-15 SOCIAL-MEDIA BILL HAS SAT IN A SENATE COMMITTEE SINCE OCT 21, 2025, AND ITS OWN SPONSORS SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS HOLDING IT. Bill 1136, filed May 13, 2024 by Lavinia Mennuni (Fratelli d'Italia) with 21 FdI senators and twinned with a Chamber text by Marianna Madia (ex-PD, now Italia Viva), would bar under-15s from social networks and make platforms verify age at sign-up through a national electronic 'mini-wallet', pending the EU age-verification app; under the Privacy Code today under-14s need parental consent that nobody checks. The text was reworked over about 18 months with the European Commission for Digital Services Act compatibility and, sponsors say, cleared. In Oct 2025 it was close to final approval with majority and most opposition support (M5S has its own text), then stalled; an AGI report that Prime Minister Meloni told ministers to block it was never confirmed or denied. After a 13-year-old stabbed a teacher in Trescore (Bergamo), committee discussion resumed on Apr 8, 2026 while Palazzo Chigi, under undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano with ministers Valditara, Roccella, Abodi and Foti, drafted a separate text with 'non-invasive' age checks and mandatory parental controls on children's devices, and FdI senators said a decree-law might be faster than a new bill before the 2027 election. On Aug 28, 2026 Madia said the government was blocking the bill by withholding its opinions; Enterprise Minister Adolfo Urso's written reply said the bill was not halted and the ministry was evaluating the Commission's coming initiative; Mennuni proposed an Italian law with a sunset clause once EU rules apply. Italy's AGCOM adult-site age checks are recorded separately. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the government has tabled its own text or amendments, any committee vote date, the verification method in the final text, penalties and the enforcing authority.

MIC age-verification proposal

On 2 June 2026 an expert panel of Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications proposed measures to address social-media addiction among minors, recommending the government work with platforms and mobile carriers on feasible age-verification methods rather than a blanket ban. The draft enters public comment and is due to be finalised in summer 2026. The draft report went out for public comment from June 17 to July 8, 2026. It asks platforms to tighten age checks beyond self-declared birthdays and to turn on protective default settings, and looks at duties for app stores and mobile carriers, but it is not binding and sets no minimum age. Whether the ministry has issued its final report, or plans a bill, had not been reported as of Oct 13, 2026.

Child online-safety guidelines + ICT amendment bill

Kenya's Communications Authority published online child-safety guidelines in May 2025 requiring service providers to use age verification for harmful content, and a 2025 amendment bill would add social-media age verification. In Feb 2026 Kenya opted to regulate rather than ban TikTok.

Social-media age-verification bills (7 proposals)

South Korea has introduced about seven bills on youth social-media use -- ranging from barring under-14s to parental consent for under-16s -- but is leaning toward graduated restrictions rather than an outright ban, mindful of its earlier, repealed gaming "shutdown law." REGULATOR FLOATS A PHASED UNDER-14 BAN, JUL 16, 2026. Kim Jong-cheol, chairman of the Korea Media and Communications Commission, told a policy briefing at the presidential office that the commission is reviewing a phased plan to bar children under 14 from opening social media accounts and to limit 14- to 19-year-olds' exposure to designs and algorithms that encourage excessive use. He said about seven related bills are before the National Assembly and warned the issue needs care, pointing to the 2011 game Shutdown Law that was scrapped in January 2022 after rights and industry objections (Korea Times). NOT ESTABLISHED: any consultation or bill date, the age-verification method, and which bill the government will back.

Amendments to the Law on Online Platforms and Online Advertising -- under-16 registration ban

KAZAKHSTAN'S UNDER-16 BAN WENT TO PARLIAMENT IN LATE JUNE 2026 AND NOW SITS WITH THE NEW KURULTAY. The Ministry of Culture and Information published draft amendments to the Law on Online Platforms and Online Advertising in December 2025 that would bar anyone under 16 from registering an account on online platforms including social networks, with messengers such as WhatsApp and Telegram exempted; Minister Aida Balayeva presented them at a government meeting on Jan 22, 2026, and the government filed the bill with the Mazhilis in late June 2026. Under the constitutional law creating the unicameral Kurultay, bills filed before Jul 1, 2026 transfer to it, and the ministry told BES.media the new body could take the bill up in autumn 2026 and in theory adopt it by the end of 2026. The ban covers account registration only; whether minors could still view public content without logging in is not addressed. Platforms and their Kazakh representative offices would have to verify age, with the method to be set later with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and the personal-data authority, and detailed rules to follow in subordinate regulations. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova's working group has also floated SIM-card registration for under-14s. NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill number, the first committee date, penalties, and what happens to existing under-16 accounts.

Draft amendments setting digital adulthood at 16 (MP Daiva Ulbinaite, opposition)

AN OPPOSITION MP'S DRAFT, NOT A GOVERNMENT BILL. On Feb 20, 2026 Seimas member Daiva Ulbinaite of the opposition Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats presented draft amendments that would set 'digital adulthood' at 16: under-16s could use social media only with specific parental consent, platforms would have to verify age by technical means rather than self-declaration (bank or payment checks, mobile-operator checks or a Greek-style app were cited), the Communications Regulatory Authority would supervise, and the Code of Administrative Offences would gain fines of 500 to 1,500 euros for providers, rising to 1,500 to 4,000 for repeat breaches. Ulbinaite said the aim was to start a public debate. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the amendments were registered in the Seimas, any committee or plenary date, and the government's position.

Projet de loi no 8690 relative a la protection des mineurs sur les reseaux sociaux (under-13 ban, parental consent 13-15)

LUXEMBOURG'S BILL 8690 WOULD BAR UNDER-13S FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS AND REQUIRE VERIFIED PARENTAL CONSENT FOR 13- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS; THE MEDIA REGULATOR AND THE YOUTH COUNCIL BOTH WANT IT NARROWED. The Minister Delegate for Media and Connectivity asked for opinions on the bill on Feb 3, 2026. It defines social network services by reference to the Digital Services Act (platforms where users create profiles, connect and share public content; Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are named in the commentary), excludes interpersonal communication services, requires age-verification and parental-consent systems, makes the Autorite luxembourgeoise independante de l'audiovisuel (ALIA) the supervisory authority, and routes appeals to the administrative tribunal. ALIA's opinion adopted Mar 23, 2026 says the bill heads in the right direction but that blanket age limits ignore differences between services, are bypassed with VPNs and false declarations, shift parental responsibility to companies, raise data-minimisation problems, may conflict with the country-of-origin principle and the DSA's supervisory framework (ALIA is not a designated DSA authority and very large platforms answer to the Commission), and that building verification on the EU Digital Identity Wallet is premature; it asks for differentiated duties by risk and the power to set technical criteria. The Jugendrot (youth council) opinion of Mar 27, 2026 accepts an under-13 ban but calls a general ban to 16 disproportionate, warns that age checks amount to de facto identity control for everyone and prefers an EU-wide rule aligned with neighbours. As with every age line, enforcing it means checking every user's age. NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill's deposit date, the Conseil d'Etat opinion, the fines, whether the thresholds have been changed in committee, and a vote date.

Government programme 2026-2031 commitment to a law barring under-15s from social networks (no bill yet)

MOROCCO'S NEW GOVERNMENT PROMISED ON OCT 21-22, 2026 TO DRAFT A LAW BARRING UNDER-15S FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS. The El Mansouri government's 2026-2031 programme, reported by Le Matin on Oct 22, 2026, commits to a law keeping children under 15 off social networks and away from electronic games judged dangerous, to banning smartphones in primary schools, to adding digital education to curricula, to parental-control tools for families and to an 'Espace ami de l'enfance numerique' label for child-friendly digital spaces. It cites the 2025 National Family Survey: 61.3 percent of 5- to 17-year-olds use digital tools, 35.1 percent of them without parental control. No verification method, platform list, penalty, sponsoring minister, bill number or timetable has been given, so how adults and children would prove their age is unknown. NOT ESTABLISHED: when a bill will be tabled, the age-assurance method, and whether the CNDP data-protection authority has been consulted.

Possible limits on minors' social-media access (government review, decision due end-2026)

NOT YET A BILL. On Feb 11, 2026 Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun said on the public broadcaster Moldova 1 that the government is weighing limits on children's access to social media, with a decision expected by the end of 2026 after consultations with psychologists, teachers, school heads, students and experts; the ministry is weighing a strict age ban against a digital-literacy approach and has not fixed an age, citing France's under-15 consent rule and Australia's under-16 ban as models. The initiative sits within President Maia Sandu's 2026 digital-safety priorities; Moldova banned phones in classrooms about two years earlier. NOT ESTABLISHED: the age under consideration, whether a draft has been published, and how age would be verified.

Under-16 social-media draft law (2026)

As of February 2026 Mongolia's education ministry was drafting a law to bar under-16s from "age-restricted" social-media platforms, modeled on Australia.

Social-media age-verification consultation

In March 2026 Nigeria opened a public consultation on possible social-media restrictions and age verification; as of May 2026 no minimum age or verification requirement had been set.

Under-15 social-media minimum age (coalition aim; EU route preferred, no national bill)

THE DUTCH CABINET IS PURSUING AN EU-WIDE MINIMUM AGE OF 15, NOT A NATIONAL LAW. The D66-VVD-CDA coalition agreement (January 2026) calls for a European minimum age of 15 for social media for as long as platforms are not safe enough, enforced through privacy-friendly age verification. Answering written questions from MP Zwinkels (CDA) on May 21, 2026, State Secretary Aerdts (Economic Affairs and Climate) said member states may set minimum ages themselves but the cabinet prefers a common EU approach to avoid fragmenting the market. The cabinet raised a European age of 15 with privacy-friendly age verification at the Informal Telecom Council of Apr 29-30, 2026, is examining whether the Commission's white-label EU age-verification app can be used in the Netherlands, and said it would choose the form of cooperation after talks with other states and a University of Amsterdam study on the legal design, due before the 2026 summer recess. No Dutch bill exists. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the UvA study has been published and what it found, and whether the cabinet would legislate nationally if no EU rule comes.

Lov om aldersgrense for bruk av sosiale medier (bill; limit from 1 Jan of the year a child turns 16)

NORWAY'S LIMIT IS NOW 1 JANUARY OF THE YEAR A CHILD TURNS 16 -- NOT A FLAT 15. The July 2025 consultation draft of the Lov om aldersgrense for bruk av sosiale medier proposed an absolute limit of 15. The government now describes the rule by birth year: every child gets access on 1 January of the year they turn 16, and the government says children under 15 should have no access. Platforms carry the duty and must verify age through independent third parties that are meant to learn only whether a user is over or under the line. The bill went to EEA notification on 8 May 2026; the EFTA Surveillance Authority (5 August) and the European Commission (10 August) raised no objection beyond minor amendments. The government says it will put the bill to the Storting before the end of 2026. UPDATE, OCT 2026: the government's list of bills planned for the Storting's autumn session (dated Oct 7, 2026) shows the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs submitting the Lov om aldersgrense for bruk av sosiale medier in December 2026. Not yet law. Not established: the Prop. L number, a start date, which agency enforces it, or the penalties. RECORD DETAIL, OCT 2026: the government's consultation drew 8,168 responses (regjeringen.no, Oct 14, 2025). The draft was notified to the EU under TRIS as 2026/9007/NO on May 8, 2026, with the standstill ending Aug 11, 2026; the notification describes an absolute limit with no parental consent, set by the calendar year a child turns 16, covering services that let users create profiles and contact each other and distribute user content without editorial control, with exemptions under consideration for games, marketplaces, closed education and leisure groups and messaging services, no specified verification method, and no sanctions on children or parents. UPDATE, OCT 2026: on Oct 19, 2026 the government announced it is targeting the age limit at 'harmful' social media -- services whose design, features or content pose a risk to children -- rather than every platform, and dropping the exemptions it had been considering (regjeringen.no, 'Maalrettar aldersgrensa mot skadelege plattformar', Oct 2026; Digital Policy Alert dates the decision Oct 19). In April 2026 Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said platforms, not children, carry the duty and must have age checks working from day one; the youth umbrella LNU and 33 co-signers objected to any ID or biometric requirement for going online. Still not law. NOT ESTABLISHED: the exact definition of harmful, which body will designate covered services, and whether the December 2026 Storting date holds.

Under-16 social-media bill (draft)

Following Australia's lead, New Zealand has drafted legislation to bar under-16s from social-media platforms. The bill has not yet passed and remains under discussion. UPDATE, Oct 2026: National MP Catherine Wedd's member's bill would copy Australia's under-16 social-media ban. A select committee inquiry recommended restricting under-16 access in December 2025, and Labour backs the bill while ACT and the Greens oppose it. In May 2026 Education Minister Erica Stanford said the bill is on hold while the government works on a wider online-harm package. No government bill has been reported since. GOVERNMENT BILL ANNOUNCED AUG 28, 2026; INTRODUCTION SET FOR AUG 31. Education Minister Erica Stanford and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the under-16 bill would be introduced on Monday Aug 31, 2026. Platforms designated high-risk -- Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X and Facebook, but not WhatsApp, Discord or Roblox, and including social AI companions but not productivity chatbots -- would have to take reasonable steps to confirm users are 16 or older using existing account data, facial age estimation, digital ID or formal ID; no VPN ban is included and no penalty falls on children or parents. Non-compliant companies could be fined up to 10 percent of global revenue by a new online safety regulator inside the Department of Internal Affairs with powers to audit age-check technology and geo-block services. ACT and NZ First invoked the coalition's agree-to-disagree clause and will not vote for it, so National needs Labour, which has sent Stanford about 79 questions and has not committed; Luxon said a first reading is unlikely before the end of the parliamentary term, pushing the bill past the election (RNZ via SafetyNews, Aug 28, 2026). NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the bill was introduced on Aug 31 as planned, its formal title, and any first-reading date.

SB 2424 (Child Online Safety and Protection Act) / HB 11566 -- social-media minimum age (passed both chambers, conference pending)

BOTH CHAMBERS HAVE NOW PASSED A VERSION; THE HOUSE GAVE FINAL APPROVAL ON OCT 12, 2026. The Senate approved SB 2424, the Child Online Safety and Protection Act, 16-1-0 on third reading (reported Oct 8, 2026), with Sen. Risa Hontiveros the only no. Reports differ on its age line: Philstar Life says under-16s would be barred and 16-to-18-year-olds could use age-restricted platforms subject to age assurance; the Daily Tribune and later coverage say it bars everyone under 18. The Senate text excludes email, private messaging, online gaming, DepEd-approved learning platforms, news services and workplace tools, fines platforms P1 million to P20 million with possible suspension or revocation, and makes parents liable for opening accounts for under-16s. The House approved its version (HB 11566, Rep. Roman Romulo) on second reading on Oct 6 and gave final approval on Monday Oct 12, 2026, 287-3 with no abstentions (Manila Times); it bars children under 13 (an earlier report said 13 and under), restricts features for 14-to-17-year-olds and makes platforms re-verify ages twice a year. The two versions must be reconciled in a bicameral conference before going to President Marcos, who said he was studying the Senate bill and warned that a blanket ban could push children to hide what they do online. NOT ESTABLISHED: the conference date, the final age line, how age assurance would work, which agency enforces it, and how adults will prove they are adults -- which any version requiring age verification touches. UPDATE, OCT 23, 2026: no date has been announced for the bicameral conference; the two versions still differ on the age line (Senate: under 18; House: under 13 barred, 13 to 17 restricted).

Under-16 social-media bill (withdrawn, under revision)

A July 2025 Senate bill would have banned social media for under-16s with age verification and even jailed adults who created accounts for minors; it was withdrawn in August 2025 amid controversy. The government is still pursuing a lower age limit (13-14) without the jail penalty.

Under-15 social-media ban (Civic Coalition members' bill, in preparation)

POLAND'S UNDER-15 PLAN IS A MEMBERS' BILL STILL IN PREPARATION. In January 2026 the Civic Coalition (KO) parliamentary club approved drafting a members' bill, backed by Education Minister Barbara Nowacka and MP Roman Giertych, to keep children off social media until they turn 15; Giertych said a members' bill would move faster than a government bill. Nowacka presented the plan in February 2026 together with a ban on phones in primary-school lessons. Platforms would have to verify age and block under-age users, with financial penalties (reported as up to 6% of annual revenue), and Nowacka's target start is early 2027. Deputy Digital Affairs Minister Dariusz Standerski said the ministry is building a tool on a digital identity wallet that would share only an age confirmation. As of late February 2026 there was no draft text, public consultation or Council of Ministers decision, and an October 2026 check found no later stage. Not yet law. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether a bill has been filed in the Sejm, its print number, and how adults would prove age.

Under-13 social-media ban (parliamentary bill)

On 12 February 2026 Portugal's Assembly of the Republic approved (148-69) a bill barring under-13s from social media and requiring parental consent for 13 to 15-year-olds, verified through the state Digital Mobile Key (Chave Movel Digital). Platforms could be fined up to 2% of global revenue. A final confirmatory vote is still required before it becomes law. CORRECTION -- the Feb 12, 2026 vote approved the bill only in general terms (first reading). It went to committee for detailed drafting and still needs a final vote, the President's signature and publication before it becomes law. No final vote had been reported as of Oct 13, 2026. As drafted it would bar under-16s from free access to social media, let 13 to 15-year-olds in only with parental consent verified through the Chave Movel Digital, and allow fines up to EUR 2 million or 2% of turnover.

Under-16 social-media bill

SENATE PASSED IT ON OCT 6, 2025 (123 FOR, 6 ABSTENTIONS); THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES HAS NOT VOTED. Romania's 'digital majority' bill (PL-x 356/2025) would let under-16s open accounts and use online services only with verifiable parental consent, with the telecoms regulator ANCOM writing the rules on how. The Chamber of Deputies has the final say. Romania's own digital ministry told deputies the bill, and a companion bill forcing very large platforms to check ages, go further than the EU's Digital Services Act and should have been notified to Brussels first; it said the European Commission had sent a warning. No Chamber vote had been reported as of Oct 13, 2026. A separate under-16 ban bill was filed by a PUSL deputy in March 2026.

SOU 2026:35 -- proposed age limit for children's access to social media (inquiry report, not a bill)

PROPOSED, NOT YET A BILL. A government inquiry, SOU 2026:35, proposed on Jun 2, 2026 a new law setting access to social media at the year a child turns 15. The Ministry of Social Affairs cited algorithmic feeds, addictive design, harmful content, cyberbullying and gang recruitment, and figures showing 83% of 13- to 16-year-olds use social media daily. The report went out for consultation on Jun 18, 2026 (S2026/01273) with responses due Oct 16, 2026; bodies including the Swedish Media Authority, the Post and Telecom Authority, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen and the Council on Legislation have filed replies. The government page also lists a supplementary inquiry directive, Dir. 2026:123, dated Oct 23, 2026, whose content was not read. As with every age line, enforcing it means checking the age of every user, adults included. NOT ESTABLISHED: which platforms are covered, how age would be verified (e-ID or otherwise), whether parents can consent, the enforcing authority, penalties, a start date, and when a bill reaches the Riksdag.

Under-15 social-media ban (draft)

In February 2026 Slovenia's education ministry said it was preparing draft legislation to bar under-15s from social-media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. No bill has yet been formally introduced. On Feb 5, 2026 the government approved starting points for a law restricting social media for under-15s, proposed by the education ministry, with experts and the digital ministry to weigh in first. No bill had been sent to the National Assembly as of Oct 13, 2026, and how ages would be checked has not been set out.

Government bill banning social-network accounts for under-16s (approved by cabinet Aug 26, 2026)

SLOVAKIA'S CABINET APPROVED AN UNDER-16 SOCIAL-NETWORK BAN ON AUG 26, 2026; PARLIAMENT HAS NOT VOTED. The bill, which Reuters reports the government justified by addiction, social pressure and radicalisation, would stop children under 16 from opening accounts on major social networks; users would have to prove their age when creating an account and providers would receive only an age confirmation, not other personal data, with verification criteria following EU digital-services rules. It grew out of three competing initiatives: the opposition KDH filed its own under-16 bill in the National Council in May 2026; the junior coalition party Hlas-SD, through Education Minister Tomas Drucker, put a draft into inter-ministerial review on Jun 16, 2026 that also imposes a default protected mode (private profile, location off, no automatic group additions) for 16- and 17-year-olds, exempts email and one-to-one or small-group chat, and targets entry into force in January 2027; and the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization (MIRRI) said it had been drafting its own child-protection law for six months. The bill must pass the National Council. NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill's print number, which of the three drafts the cabinet adopted, penalties, the first-reading date, and how adults will prove age.

Minimum-age proposal (under consideration)

Thailand is among the countries considering a minimum age (in the 13-14 range) for social-media access. Separately, the NBTC has tightened SIM-registration and identity rules to combat technology crime, though those are not minor-specific age checks. No social-media age law is yet enacted.

Under-14 social-media ban proposal

NOT A BILL. In late September 2025 MP Dilnoza Ahmadzoda argued in the state newspaper Narodnaya Gazeta for barring under-14s from social media and requiring written parental consent up to 17. No bill was filed and the government did not respond publicly; no further action had been reported as of Oct 13, 2026. Tajikistan already blocks many platforms and independent outlets.

Under-12 social-media ban (announced)

In January 2026 Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister said the government would ban social media for children under 12, without yet specifying enforcement or timing.

Under-16 social-media ban ruled out; age-assurance options under consideration

SOUTH AFRICA'S COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER RULED OUT A BLANKET UNDER-16 SOCIAL-MEDIA BAN IN A PARLIAMENTARY REPLY REPORTED SEP 8, 2026, BUT KEPT AGE VERIFICATION ON THE TABLE. Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi told Parliament the government is not planning an Australian-style ban, saying there is no irrefutable indication such bans stop under-16s using the platforms (BusinessTech, Sep 8, 2026; Biometric Update, Sep 10). In a Daily Maverick interview published Jul 19, 2026 he said South Africa should not pursue age bans at all because they are hard to enforce and Australia's is being bypassed, and instead favoured mandatory age verification tied to devices or platforms, digital literacy for parents and schools, and platform accountability, warning that past policy outran the state's enforcement capacity. The Film and Publication Board reported for 2025/26 that it analysed over one million items, confirmed 9,250 as child sexual abuse material and issued 316 take-down notices, but has published no age-verification regulations. The draft National AI Policy was withdrawn earlier in 2026 after fabricated references were found. No bill has been introduced. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether a device- or platform-level age-verification mandate will be drafted, by which body, and on what timetable.

Under-18 social-media restriction (under consideration)

In March 2026 Zimbabwe's ICT minister said the country would look into restricting social-media access for under-18s; critics urged enforcing existing data-protection law instead.

MCA age-assurance guidelines (EU DSA framework)

Malta relies on the EU Digital Services Act framework: the Malta Communications Authority has issued guidelines expecting platforms with age-restricted content (adult content, online gambling) to use age assurance, and gambling age verification (18+) is already established through the Malta Gaming Authority. Broader, more robust age-verification requirements for adult content are still being developed. Malta also has a national e-ID card that could support verification.

Announced under-13 social-media restrictions

In 2026 Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that under-13s would face social-media restrictions modelled on Australia's approach; details and implementing legislation are still pending.

Proposed social-media age-assurance and teen-safeguard legislation (MDDI, for early 2027)

SINGAPORE WILL LEGISLATE AGE ASSURANCE AND UNDER-13 EXCLUSION FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, WITH A BILL PLANNED FOR EARLY 2027. An MDDI factsheet of Jul 4, 2026 said the government plans to extend age-assurance duties to designated social media services and keep users under 13 off them, with age-appropriate safeguards for 13- to 17-year-olds, building on the 2023 Social Media Services code and the app-store code that has required under-18 age assurance since Apr 1, 2026; the Online Safety Commission began operating in June 2026. In September 2026 the government proposed legislation for early 2027 with three parts: mandatory age assurance, safer-by-design duties for teen users (limits on stranger messaging, autoplay, infinite scroll, algorithmic feeds and daily use), and age-based access restrictions -- platforms that cannot or will not comply may have to bar under-18s. It initially covers the six designated services, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube and HardwareZone, with AI chatbots, gaming and messaging possible later; platforms may choose among government ID, credit card, biometrics or usage analysis under an outcome-based regime with audits, and enforcement powers are to follow in early 2027 (Baker McKenzie, Sep 29, 2026). NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill's title and introduction date, penalty levels, and whether adults will have to prove their age to keep using the designated services.

The Kids Online Safety Act is a proposed US federal law that would impose a duty of care on online platforms to prevent harms to minors such as content promoting suicide, eating disorders, and sexual exploitation. It passed the Senate 91-3 in 2024 but stalled in the House over First Amendment concerns, and critics including the ACLU and EFF warn it could push platforms to over-remove lawful speech. It stalled in both chambers through early 2026. In June 2026 the House passed a revised KOSA inside the KIDS Act package (267-117) with the duty of care removed. On Aug 5, 2026 the Senate Commerce Committee advanced its own KOSA (S. 1748) by voice vote with the duty of care kept, setting up a clash with the House text. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the Senate holds a floor vote before the 119th Congress ends; none had been reported as of Oct 23, 2026.

The STOP CSAM Act (S.1829, with House companion H.R.3921) is a proposed US federal bill from Senators Durbin and Hawley that would let victims sue online platforms over child sexual abuse material and expand reporting duties. Privacy groups including EFF warn it pressures providers to scan user content and could make offering end-to-end encryption a legal liability. Reintroduced in May 2025, it was advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2025; a revised draft dropped the word 'reckless' to reduce -- but not eliminate -- the encryption risk.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act (S.558 / H.R.1007) is a proposed US federal law that would require the Department of Education to use the IHRA working definition of antisemitism when enforcing Title VI on campuses. Supporters including the ADL say it gives schools a clear standard for addressing harassment; critics including FIRE, the ACLU, and the IHRA definition author Kenneth Stern warn it would pressure schools to punish protected speech, especially criticism of Israel. It passed the House in 2024 but stalled in the Senate over those concerns and was reintroduced in 2025. More than 30 states have separately adopted the IHRA definition.

The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act (H.R. 2616) passed the US House 217-198 in May 2026. It would bar public elementary and middle schools that take federal funds from using them to teach or 'advance concepts related to gender ideology,' and would require schools to get parental consent before changing a student's pronouns, name, or sex-based accommodations, with no exception for student safety. Free-speech and civil-rights groups including the National Coalition Against Censorship and the ACLU call it a federal 'Don't Say Trans' law that would chill classroom speech, strip books with transgender characters, and force the outing of LGBTQ students. It awaits Senate action.

The No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act (H.R. 7060) is a proposed US federal law that would bar federal officials, including the president, from launching investigations or enforcement actions substantially motivated by a person's protected speech or political participation. It gives targets an affirmative defense, lets them sue for relief, and bars federal funds for speech-suppressing investigations. Introduced in January 2026 by Rep. Crow with a Senate companion, it is a direct response to the use of agencies like the DOJ, FBI, and IRS against critics, media outlets, universities, and nonprofits. It is pending in committee.

The Free Speech Protection Act (S. 188), introduced by Senator Rand Paul in January 2025, would prohibit federal employees and contractors from directing online platforms to censor speech protected by the First Amendment. Aimed at government 'jawboning' after the Supreme Court's Murthy v. Missouri ruling, it covers posts, emails, texts, and direct messages, and would open agency communications with platforms to public-records requests. It was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act (H.R. 140) would bar federal employees from using their position to influence online platforms to suppress lawful speech, and would add employee training and reporting requirements. The House passed it on a near party-line vote in March 2023, but it did not advance in the Senate. Backers framed it as a check on government pressure over social-media moderation; similar measures have been reintroduced since.

The Stop FUNDERs Act, introduced by Senator Cruz and Rep. Van Duyne, would add 'rioting' to the federal RICO law's predicate offenses, letting the Justice Department use racketeering tools -- asset forfeiture, conspiracy charges, joint liability -- against people and groups that fund or organize protests that turn into riots. Critics warn the broad federal definition of 'riot' could sweep in peaceful protest organizers and their funders, and the push intensified after Charlie Kirk's killing.

Iowa's House File 2309 would impose criminal and civil liability on librarians who let minors check out material deemed 'harmful,' and strips libraries of their longstanding exemption from state obscenity law. The American Library Association warns it would force libraries to police every minor's borrowing or restrict youth access entirely.

The SPONSOR Act would strip federal funding and tax-exempt status from a nonprofit if one of its officers or board members is convicted of a federal offense tied to a protest, including the broadly defined federal crimes of 'riot' and impeding a federal officer. Critics warn it could financially punish advocacy groups for the isolated acts of people connected to protests they support.

The ROAD Act (H.R. 4846) would create an affirmative legal defense for drivers in criminal and civil cases over 'motor vehicle incidents' involving someone convicted of 'riot.' Its sponsor said it would 'allow Americans to run over' people protesting in the street, drawing alarm that it would incentivize violence against demonstrators.

The EARN IT Act would amend Section 230 to strip platforms of liability protection unless they follow best practices for combating child sexual abuse material. Critics -- the Internet Society, EFF, CDT, TechFreedom -- warn that because offering end-to-end encryption could be treated as evidence of negligence, the bill effectively pressures providers to abandon E2EE. First introduced in 2020 and reintroduced in 2022 and 2023, it has repeatedly stalled but keeps returning; as of 2026 it carries less momentum than the STOP CSAM Act.

The KIDS Act (H.R. 7757) bundles a revised Kids Online Safety Act with more than a dozen internet bills. It passed the House 267-117 on June 29, 2026 and heads to the Senate. Beyond default safety settings for minors, critics including EFF warn it would push services to verify all users' ages and adopt government-directed moderation policies, chilling lawful speech.

Illinois HB 5511 would verify users' ages through the device operating system and impose default limits -- on algorithmic feeds, nighttime notifications, and profile visibility -- for minors' accounts. It passed both chambers on June 1, 2026 (Senate 57-0, House 113-0); Governor Pritzker, who proposed it, pledged to sign it. EFF, the ACLU of Illinois, and NetChoice urged a veto, warning device-level age checks would end anonymous smartphone use for every resident.

A federal App Store Accountability Act (S. 1586 / H.R. 3149), introduced in 2025, would set a national app-store age-verification and parental-consent standard mirroring the state laws. It had not been enacted as of early 2026.

REP. DARRELL ISSA INTRODUCED THE AMERICAN COPYRIGHT PROTECTION ACT, H.R. 10364, ON SEP 16, 2026. The bill would let a copyright holder petition a designated federal judge to declare a website a foreign piracy site on a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard; internet service providers, DNS resolvers and any VPN provider with at least 100,000 monthly US subscribers would then have to block access to it. Covered providers would get 14 days to object before an order takes effect, with faster orders for live sports and other time-sensitive content, and a company wrongly blocked could claim up to $250,000 in damages. The 100,000-subscriber threshold reaches almost every major consumer VPN while leaving small and free services untouched. NordVPN's Laura Tyrylyte said the measure mainly targets reputable paid providers; Public Knowledge's Meredith Rose warned it forces providers to disrupt traffic to targeted sites; Re:Create's Brandon Butler said it violates due process and the First Amendment. No committee action is recorded. NOT ESTABLISHED: cosponsors, committee referral, the penalty for non-compliance, and whether a Senate companion exists.

The EU Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), nicknamed Chat Control by critics, would oblige messaging and hosting platforms to detect and report child sexual abuse material -- reaching end-to-end encrypted services in practice through client-side scanning. A fifth trilogue on June 29, 2026 collapsed over suspicionless scanning, with a sixth set for 29 September 2026 under the Irish presidency; reports say the institutions have tentatively agreed to keep end-to-end encrypted content out of scope and to drop age-verification provisions, and still disagree on voluntary, mandatory or suspect-targeted detection. Separately, the expired 'Chat Control 1.0' voluntary-scanning regime was revived on July 9, 2026 when Parliament fell short of the 361 votes needed to block it, letting suspicionless scanning of unencrypted services continue to 2028; the Council accepted Parliament's encryption carve-out on 23 July (Regulation (EU) 2026/1881). Within the Council, a qualified majority of 23 member states backs the detection framework, while the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland formally oppose suspicionless scanning.

A proposed Pakistani law, the Prohibition of Obscenity and Vulgarity on Digital Media Bill 2025, would broadly define prohibited content to include sexual conversation, mocking hijab or purdah, ridiculing religious figures, and violating the ideology of Pakistan, with 24-hour blocking duties and fines up to 100 million rupees. Critics warn the vague morality and religion clauses could be used to silence dissent and journalism.

The European Commission has proposed adding all forms of hate speech and hate crime -- based on race, religion, gender, or sexuality -- to the list of EU crimes under Article 83 of the EU treaties, which would let the EU set minimum criminal rules across all member states. Supporters say a common standard would better protect minorities; critics warn an EU-wide hate-speech crime could broaden the criminalization of expression. Adoption requires unanimous Council agreement and Parliament consent, and it has stalled since the 2021 proposal.

An Italian bill approved by the Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee in early 2026 would incorporate the IHRA definition of antisemitism into law and let authorities ban rallies that promote antisemitism. Supporters say it would curb hateful and dangerous gatherings; critics warn that using the IHRA definition as a legal basis to prohibit assemblies could capture protected political speech about Israel. It still faces an amendments phase and full votes in both chambers.

Ghana's Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill would toughen the colonial-era ban on gay sex and criminalize the promotion, advocacy, or funding of LGBTQ activities, reaching public speech and association. Supporters call it a defense of cultural values; rights groups warn it criminalizes ordinary speech and support. Parliament passed an earlier version in 2024, and the president signaled he could sign a revived bill in 2026.

Sweden is weighing a law that would require messaging apps such as Signal and WhatsApp to store messages and hand them to law enforcement -- effectively a backdoor. Signal's president said the company would leave the Swedish market rather than comply, and Sweden's own Armed Forces warned the mandate would introduce exploitable vulnerabilities. The Riksdag is expected to take it up in 2026.

Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act introduced March 12, 2026 and passed second reading April 20, 2026, would let the Minister of Public Safety issue secret orders compelling providers to enable access to data and require up to a year of metadata retention plus expanded foreign data-sharing. It bars orders that create a 'systemic vulnerability,' but Signal, Apple, Google, Meta and VPNs call that definition too vague to protect end-to-end encryption; Signal, Windscribe and NordVPN have threatened to leave Canada. UPDATE: C-22 PASSED THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 18 JUNE 2026 (report stage and third reading after nine committee meetings) and had first reading in the Senate the same day; the Senate has not scheduled second reading. Whether the committee changed the 'systemic vulnerability' definition is not established from the bill-status page. Separately, Bill C-8, a cyber-security law amending the Telecommunications Act, received Royal Assent on 15 June 2026. UPDATE, OCT 2026: THE SENATE COMPLETED SECOND READING OF C-22 ON OCT 22, 2026 AND SENT IT TO COMMITTEE. The bill-status page shows second reading finished on Oct 22, 2026 with referral the same day to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (SECD); no committee meeting had been recorded as of Oct 29, 2026. The Commons stage ran from first reading on Mar 12, 2026 through ten SECU committee meetings (May 5 to Jun 17) to third reading on Jun 18, 2026. NOT ESTABLISHED: the Senate committee's hearing dates, whether senators will amend the 'systemic vulnerability' definition, and a Royal Assent date. UPDATE: THE SENATE PASSED C-22 AT SECOND READING ON OCT 22, 2026 AND REFERRED IT TO THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENCE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS (SECD), per the LEGISinfo bill page, which lists no committee meetings, report stage or third reading dates. The House committee (SECU) had reported the bill with amendments on Jun 18, 2026 after meetings from May 5 to Jun 17. NOT ESTABLISHED: what the House amendments changed, and whether SECD will hear Signal, Apple or the VPN providers that threatened to leave Canada.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly on 24 Dec 2024 and opened for signature in Hanoi on 25 Oct 2025; the UK, France, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and dozens of other states signed, Canada signed in July 2026, and the United States has not signed and says it is still reviewing the treaty. READ OFF THE UN TREATY REGISTER in September 2026 (latest entry 4 Sep 2026): 82 signatories and 3 parties -- Qatar, Azerbaijan and Viet Nam. It enters into force 90 days after the 40th ratification, so 37 more are needed. The United States is not on the participant list. Mali, which is using its own cybercrime law to jail journalists, signed on 26 Oct 2025. It obliges parties to share personal data on people accused of 'serious' crimes, defined only as offences carrying at least four years imprisonment -- a threshold that speech offences meet in many signatory states. It also requires laws obliging service providers to keep government data requests confidential, and lets a requesting state ask that the target not be notified. Supporters present it as cooperation against fraud and phishing. Marker is placed at UN headquarters in New York; this is a treaty, not a place.

Tabled 22 June 2026, passed by the Dewan Rakyat on 1 July 2026 on a majority voice vote after 48 government and opposition MPs debated it, and approved by the Dewan Negara on 20 July 2026. It is not yet law: royal assent and gazettement were still outstanding as of this record, and no commencement date is established. It would replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997 and runs to 61 clauses. A new offence covers content generated or manipulated by computer systems that falsely appears authentic, punishable by up to seven years; Article 19 warns this can reach satire, artistic work, journalism and criticism of the government. Section 24 covers distribution of intimate images, up to five years and a fine up to RM300,000, without distinguishing child sexual abuse material from consensual material. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told parliament the bill grants no absolute powers, does not override the Official Secrets Act, and that data access must follow prescribed procedure; he cited 8,014 online fraud charges from January to May 2026 against 6,140 in all of 2025 -- the government's own figures. MPs asked for clearer definitions of AI-generated content to protect satire and political criticism. What would settle it: publication in the Federal Gazette. As of 22 Sep 2026 no report of royal assent or gazettement was found.

Held by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology under minister Emma Theofelus. Stakeholder consultations resumed 2 February 2026 on a draft dated 30 January 2026; drafting was reported complete in March 2026 and a final draft was circulated in April 2026 ahead of an MICT validation workshop, which The Namibian reports many civil society groups received little or no notice of. It has not been tabled in the National Assembly and no vote date is established. An earlier pairing of cybercrime and data protection bills was withdrawn from the National Assembly before 2020 for further work. The government's case, made by Theofelus, is that the bill addresses technology-facilitated crimes including gender-based violence -- doxxing, cyberstalking, image-based abuse and deepfake exploitation, with women in public office and women journalists named as targets -- and aligns Namibia with the UN Convention Against Cybercrime, which it has signed. The Institute for Public Policy Research, a Windhoek think tank, filed a submission on 20 February 2026 arguing the draft is still at an early stage: broad offence definitions, intrusive investigative powers, and inadequate safeguards for privacy and expression. IPPR associate researcher Frederico Links has argued the law must be precise and proportionate and grounded in constitutional protections. The Namibian's legal columnist argues the bill is vague and incomplete precisely where it matters most, on child sexual abuse material and grooming, and notes Namibia has no existing statute specific to child sexual exploitation. Penalty figures reported by FIRE -- up to 10 years for cyberbullying, five years for failing to moderate undesirable content, and 15 years for obscene material transmitted by computer -- have not been checked against the bill text for this entry. Namibia had no record on this map before. To ask: whether the validation workshop produced a revised text and when MICT intends to table it.

The Council of Representatives held a first reading on 6 July 2026 of a 32-article draft. It has not passed; no second reading or vote date is established. Members of the parliamentary Security and Defence Committee asked the Speaker to pull the bill from the agenda, arguing that a text of technical and criminal detail could not be scrutinised in two days; parliament proceeded with the reading anyway. Lawmaker Sherwan Dubardani of the national security committee said the bill came from the parliament presidency with no faction objecting and expected swift passage after a second reading incorporating civil society comments, while calling it too early to judge the final form. Reported penalties include fines above 35 million Iraqi dinars and, for offences framed around espionage, national security and trafficking, up to life imprisonment; one reported provision sets a 35 million dinar fine for publishing false information intended to undermine confidence in the financial system. Sources differ on the dollar equivalent of 35 million dinars, giving roughly 22,000 to 27,000 US dollars, so the dinar figure is the reliable one. The government case is a legislative vacuum: Iraq's National Security Advisory called in February 2026 for passage, its adviser Saeed al-Jiyashi saying no dedicated cybercrime law exists and that some media outlets stir strife without accountability. INSM Iraq's July 2026 legal opinion and the group Eco Iraq say the 2026 text keeps the vague language and heavy penalties of earlier drafts and would subject online speech to security oversight. The bill has a long history: introduced 2011, withdrawal requested 2013, reintroduced 2019, second reading November 2020, suspended by parliament in 2021 pending amendment, revived 2022. Iraq has not signed the UN Convention Against Cybercrime. To ask: which committee holds the text now and whether the second reading is scheduled. SEPTEMBER 2026: the committee's revised text is reported at 26 articles, and a second reading -- debate, not a vote -- was placed on the Council of Representatives' agenda for 21 Sep. One Iraqi outlet reported it was postponed; whether the reading took place is not established. Al-Mada (9 Sep) quoted a committee member saying the aim is to finish the second reading and move to a final vote in the coming weeks; the Human Rights and Freedoms Council wants the bill withdrawn and redrafted.

The Ministry of Public Security published a 68-article draft on 31 January 2026 for public comment. It is not enacted and no adoption date is established. The draft reaches conduct described as disrupting online order, harming national security or the public interest, disrupting the real-name management system, and disseminating false information. Human Rights Watch says the draft goes well beyond legitimate cybercrime concerns and would further entrench censorship and surveillance. The ministry presents it as crime prevention and control, arguing traditional crime has migrated online into entrenched criminal supply chains.

The Bundesrat, the upper house representing the 16 federal states, approved the measure on 10 July 2026. It is not law. The federal government must state its position, then the Bundestag takes it up after the summer recess; no vote date is established. The bill was introduced by the state of Hesse and would expand Section 130 of the Criminal Code -- the incitement to hatred provision that already covers Holocaust denial -- to cover publicly denying the State of Israel's right to exist or calling for its elimination, punishable by up to five years or a fine. The offence would apply only where the statement encourages a willingness to commit antisemitic violence or arbitrary acts. Hesse minister-president Boris Rhein argued that denying Israel's right to exist attacks Jewish life and the democratic order. The Bundesrat cited rising antisemitic incidents; the bill's justification argues existing provisions apply only case by case. The Justice Minister, the State of Israel and German Jewish community leaders back it. Civil rights groups, free speech advocates and constitutional experts say it endangers expression protected by the Basic Law; the Nexus Project's Kevin Rachlin argued such denial is sometimes but not always antisemitic. Middle East Eye noted the bill would give Israel a legal protection Germany does not extend to Palestine. If the Bundestag passes it, Germany would be the first European state to criminalise this specific expression. UPDATE: the bill reached the Bundestag as Drucksache 21/7733 on 26 August 2026. In its formal statement the federal government raised serious constitutional concerns about the wording and said existing criminal law may already reach such statements. No first-reading date is set.

A BILL TO BAR UNDER-16S FROM PLATFORMS AND LET A MINISTRY BLOCK NON-COMPLIANT ONES REACHED PARLIAMENT IN JUNE 2026. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information published draft amendments to the Law on Online Platforms and Online Advertising on the Open NPA portal in December 2025; they would ban registration of users under 16 on online platforms including social networks (messengers such as WhatsApp and Telegram exempted), and, per International IDEA's summary, let the ministry block platforms that fail to remove content when ordered, fail to label content under national guidelines, or fail to hand over information on anonymous accounts with more than 5,000 followers. Minister Aida Balayeva presented the package at a government meeting on Jan 22, 2026. The government submitted the bill to the Mazhilis in late June 2026; under the constitutional law on the new unicameral Kurultay, bills filed before Jul 1, 2026 transfer to that body, which could take it up in autumn 2026, and the ministry told BES.media it could in theory be adopted by the end of 2026. Age-verification technology has not been chosen; the ministry says platforms, not children or parents, will bear responsibility. NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill's number, whether the blocking and anonymous-account clauses survived in the version filed, and any committee date.

A STATUTORY DUTY OF CARE FOR PLATFORMS WAS TABLED IN PARLIAMENT IN OCTOBER 2026. Draft legislation published in September 2026 would require platforms to protect under-18 users from harmful content and let account holders turn off algorithmic recommendation feeds; the US government publicly criticised the bill on Sep 22, 2026, and the Tech Council of Australia opposed a parallel amendment strengthening enforcement of the under-16 minimum-age law as overreach (Sep 9). The bill was tabled in the week of Oct 15, 2026, when Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government was considering adding an individual right to sue platforms under the duty (Lawyerly). NOT ESTABLISHED: the bill's formal title, its text as tabled, penalty levels, and the committee and vote schedule.