Education authorities announced on Friday that a possible ban on social media access for children under 16 is currently under consideration. Tamara Sargsyan, Head of the Department of General Education at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, said at a press conference that the potential ban is being discussed jointly with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

“A study is being conducted to identify all major opportunities, risks, and challenges. Only after having this complete picture will it be possible to understand what regulations are needed and how they can be applied accurately and in a targeted way. Accordingly, we will also understand which websites need to be restricted. The topic is sensitive, and there are many questions and layers involved,” said Sargsyan.

The Ministry representative noted that there are problems in this area and a need to establish proper regulations. The digital protection of children is a priority, and the state must be confident that sufficient tools and regulations are in place to protect children in the digital environment.

Australia in December 2025 became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The ban comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety. Companies that fail to comply could ‌face penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($34.7 million).

Austria will ban social media for children up to the age of 14. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and junior digitization minister Alexander Proell said draft legislation for the ban would be finalized by June, according to Reuters. Brazil’s Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents, which requires minors under 16 to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian and bans addictive platform features such as infinite scroll, came into force on March 17. Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source told Reuters on February 3. In Germany, minors aged 13-16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.