Austria is moving to block children under the age of 14 from using social media, as the government steps up efforts to protect young people online.
The ruling coalition said a draft law will be ready by the end of June, though the timeline for enforcement remains unclear pending parliamentary approval.
Alexander Pröll, a digitalisation official in Chancellor Christian Stocker’s office, said age checks would rely on “technically modern methods” that confirm users’ ages while safeguarding their privacy.
Officials say the policy is designed to limit children’s exposure to harmful content and reduce the influence of addictive algorithms.
Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler said the government is taking a firmer stance after years of inaction.
“Today is a good day for children in our country,” he said. “We will decisively protect children and young people in future from the negative effects of social media.”
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“We will no longer stand by and watch while these platforms make our children addicted and often also sick,” Babler added, warning that the risks had been “ignored for long enough.”
Rather than targeting specific platforms, authorities said the restriction would apply broadly, focusing on services with highly addictive features or harmful material, including “sexualised violence”.
The government also plans to expand media literacy education in schools, with added focus on digital awareness and artificial intelligence.
Austria joins a growing number of countries introducing age limits on social media. Australia has already imposed a ban for under-16s, while France, Spain and Denmark are pursuing similar restrictions. The United Kingdom is also weighing comparable measures.
The push reflects rising global concern over how social media affects children’s mental health, safety and screen habits.