Poland prepares ban on social media for under-15s: bill details

Polish authorities have drafted a bill establishing a minimum age of 15 for users of popular social platforms. The initiative, designated UD492, proposes restricting access to services such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram for minors. The document was prepared jointly by the Ministry of Digitisation and the Ministry of National Education.

Regulatory objectives and initiative status

The primary objective of the proposed changes is to protect children from the risks of the digital environment, including cyberbullying, internet addiction and manipulation. The bill is not currently law. The Polish government plans to review and approve it in the first quarter of 2027.

The restrictions will apply to online services that enable communication, the publication of photos and videos, and the exchange of information. To determine the list of covered platforms, the proposal suggests relying on the definition of an “online social networking service” in the EU Digital Markets Act.

Age verification mechanism

A key aspect of the bill is the introduction of digital age verification. Currently, most platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, but research indicates that children aged 7 to 12 actively use the applications. To address this issue, the proposal suggests using the following tools:

• The European Digital Identity Wallet;
• The Polish mObywatel app;
• Other trusted systems.

An important feature of the approach is the principle of selective disclosure. The platform will only receive confirmation of whether the user has reached the established age, without receiving their first name, surname or other personal data. This aims to combine privacy protection with access restriction.

Rationale for the measures

The authors of the document acknowledge the positive impact of social media on the education, creativity and civic participation of teenagers. At the same time, they highlight the negative consequences of excessive use of digital technologies, including:

• Sleep disturbances and reduced physical activity;
• Anxiety and depressive states, low self-esteem;
• Disordered eating behaviour and declining academic performance;
• The development of addictive behaviour.

Particular attention is paid to cyberbullying, hate speech, disinformation and the sexual exploitation of children (grooming).

Statistics on teenage internet usage

To justify the changes, the bill cites the “Nastolatki” (“Teenagers”) study conducted by the NASK research institute in 2025. According to its data, teenagers spend an average of 4 hours and 59 minutes online on weekdays.

Time spent on social media varies by gender:

• Girls spend 3 hours and 49 minutes;
• Boys spend 2 hours and 59 minutes.

Researchers also noted that girls use networks more frequently for communication, while boys spend more time on games and entertainment content.

Educational initiatives and public campaigns

The bill also provides for changes to educational programmes in kindergartens and schools. It plans to strengthen teaching on digital hygiene, personal data protection and countering cyberbullying. Teaching materials are being adapted to children’s ages to foster critical thinking and safe technology usage skills.

In addition, the government plans to launch information campaigns for schoolchildren, parents and teachers, involving educational institutions, non-governmental organisations and research institutes. If the initiative is adopted, the minimum age for using the relevant platforms will be 15, combining age restrictions with digital education and privacy protection.