Poland plans to ban social media for children under 15

According to Education Minister Barbara Nowacka, the ruling Civic Coalition will present a bill on Friday that would require platforms to thoroughly verify the age of users. Failure to do so would result in fines, the amount of which is still being finalised.

The law could come into force at the beginning of 2027.

Nowacka says the government is responding to the deteriorating mental health of young people and concerns about a decline in their cognitive abilities. Poland is thus joining several European countries that are exploring similar restrictions.

The debate has also intensified in Britain and Australia, where stricter rules have already been adopted. American tech giants such as Meta and Elon Musk's X network have opposed similar bans in the past.

(reuters, pir)