Overview
- Uruguay's Parliament is considering a bill that would ban account creation for under‑15s and make platforms responsible for blocking underage access, with fines up to 20,000 unidades reajustables (about $340,000) and possible temporary judicial suspensions for repeat breaches.
- The draft would let 15‑ to 17‑year‑olds use social networks under a strict safety regime that sets maximum privacy by default, blocks messages from unknown adults, disables public geolocation, curfews notifications at night, limits screen time and forbids behavioural ad profiling.
- Japan's expert panel rejected a blanket ban for under‑16s and instead urged stronger age verification, default safety settings on platforms and expanded digital education with a government decision on formal rules expected by late 2026.
- France's under‑15 ban was struck down by the Constitutional Council because its age‑verification rules lacked clear legal guarantees and risked forcing everyone to prove their age, prompting President Macron to order a revised bill.
- Policymakers face practical trade‑offs shown by international experience: Australia's stricter age rules reduced some underage accounts but did not stop evasive tactics, and Mexican polls show strong public demand for age limits and platform tools while people still see parents as the primary controllers.