Poland plans social-media ban for children under 15 - reports

Poland plans to introduce new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 years of age and will hold platforms responsible for age verification, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka told Bloomberg News in an interview published on Friday.

The ruling Civic Coalition will present the draft outline on Friday, with fines planned for platforms that remain accessible to younger users, Nowacka said, adding that the law could take effect by early 2027.

"We see the mental health of children and young people, we see a decline in their intellectual competence," said Nowacka adding that the size of penalties that companies would have to pay is still under discussion.

Several European governments including Denmark, Greece, France, Spain and Britain have explored similar restrictions amid claims that social-media services are harmful or addictive for minors.

The British government said in January it was considering restrictions to protect children online, after Australia implemented similar laws in December.

The initiative could put Warsaw at odds with U.S. tech firms such as Meta META.O and Elon Musk's X, some of which have pushed back against restrictions following Australia's ban last year.

-Rajveer Singh Pardesi/Reuters