More than 20 countries across six regions have either passed or proposed official frameworks regulating social media use, covering age limits, government employee online conduct, and platform accountability, according to a report by Macau Business.
Global Push for Social Media Regulation
The policies fall broadly into three categories: protecting children from unregulated access to digital platforms, standardising how public sector employees communicate online, and holding social media companies accountable for content hosted on their networks. Governments worldwide are enforcing these rules to safeguard minors, regulate official communications, and ensure tech firms take responsibility for harmful content.
Oceania and Europe Lead on Child Protection
Australia has introduced an outright nationwide ban on social media for anyone under 16, backed by mandatory age-verification technology and a dedicated Online Safety Code for platforms, as reported by Macau Business. The United Kingdom has enacted a similar under-16 restriction alongside a Government Communication Service Handbook for official public sector accounts. France bars children under 15 from registering on platforms without parental approval and is working toward a complete minor ban. Other European nations including Portugal and Spain are moving in the same direction, while Indonesia, Brazil, and Canada are also advancing similar restrictions. Brazil uses facial scans or identity document checks to enforce age limits, and Canada pushes to set the registration minimum at 16. South Korea takes a different approach by targeting platform design—blocking infinite scroll features and recommendation algorithms on accounts belonging to adolescents.
Asia, Africa, and the Middle East Implement Codes of Conduct
Vietnam has issued a formal Code of Conduct on Social Networks that separates guidelines into three sets: one for ordinary citizens, one for government officials, and one for digital service providers. China enforces real-identity verification across all platforms under central government directives. Malaysia requires platforms to obtain local representative licences and comply with online safety laws. In Africa, Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has outlined a code of practice that bans specific categories of explicit content and requires platforms to operate with greater transparency. Egypt applies traditional broadcasting laws to any social media user with more than 5,000 followers. The United Arab Emirates has issued compliance rules for government use of social networking tools and restricts users under 15.
The Americas Add Technical Enforcement
Mexico was among the earliest Latin American countries to publish internal government guidelines for public administration communications online. Brazil's framework, relying on biometric and identity checks, is among the most technically demanding of any country reviewed.
Common Themes Across Regions
Across all regions, the recurring theme is that governments no longer treat social media as a self-regulating space. Whether through age gates, platform liability laws, or conduct codes for officials, the direction of travel in 2026 is toward formalised oversight of digital communication at a national level.
Garbon Suspends Social Media
In a related development, the authority of Garbon has announced the suspension of social media platforms in the country until further notice, citing that content on social media has fueled conflicts and deepened divisions. This was disclosed in a televised statement by the High Authority for Communication (HAC) on Tuesday, February 17. The government cited "unauthorised disclosure of personal data", the "spread of false information", and "cyberbullying" as reasons for the ban, as previously reported by Legit.ng.
