The Polish government is going to ban the use of social media by children under 15 years of age. According to reports, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka has said that under the new legal framework, social media platforms will have to strictly verify the age of users. The government’s ruling party, the Civic Coalition, is presenting a draft proposal. Any platform that fails to provide access to miners may face financial penalties. It is estimated that this law may come into force by the beginning of 2027.
Children’s mental health became a cause for concern
The Education Minister says that serious concerns have been raised regarding the mental condition and decline in intellectual development of children and teenagers. The government believes that excessive use of social media is having a negative impact on young users. However, the amount of fine to be imposed on the companies has not been finalized yet and negotiations are going on.
Other European countries are also considering
Poland is not the only country considering such a move. Several European countries, including Denmark, Greece, France, Spain and the UK, are also discussing banning social media for minors. Earlier this year, the UK government said it was considering stricter online safety rules. Australia has already implemented a similar law, which many tech companies have objected to.
Fear of confrontation with tech companies
If the proposal becomes law, Poland’s stance could create conflict with US tech companies like Meta and X (formerly Twitter). Previously, some platforms had opposed such rules even after the restrictions were implemented in Australia. This step of Poland is part of the growing debate around the world regarding the safety of children in the digital world. It will be important to see how the balance is struck between governments and tech companies on this issue.
