Growing Support in the Netherlands for Social Media Ban for Under-16s

A majority of people in the Netherlands now support banning social media for children under 16, according to the latest annual survey by research firm Newcom. The survey of nearly 6,700 respondents found that 63% favour such a ban, up from 57% last year.

The biggest shift came from younger people. Among those aged 16 to 28, support rose from 44% to 60% in a single year. Newcom director Neil van der Veer called it an enormous shift that breaks the stereotype that young people do not want rules. He told broadcaster NOS that this generation has direct experience with social media and may see the dangers most clearly.

The survey found that of the 14.6 million people in the Netherlands who use platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok, 2.6 million say social media makes them feel less happy. That figure was 2.4 million last year. More than 7 million people believe that scrolling, liking and sharing on social media poses a threat to mental health, up from 6.9 million the previous year.

Van der Veer said that side effects from social media are multiplying. The impact on mental health is significant, and loneliness is also a growing problem, he told NOS. He added that no single platform is responsible, but that across all apps combined, more time spent on social media correlates with lower levels of happiness.

Respondents gave several reasons for backing age restrictions. The most common was that children cannot yet cope with the harmful effects of social media. Others pointed to the pressure children feel to be online constantly, and the risk of exposure to inappropriate content.

The main argument against a ban was that children also learn social skills through social media.

Floor van Bakkum from the Jellinek addiction clinic said actual addiction to social media remains rare in the Netherlands. Many people have trouble limiting their use, but not to the extent that they need addiction treatment, she said. She does support preventative measures such as banning phones from classrooms.\

Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide social media ban for under-16s. The law, passed in November 2024, came into effect on December 10, 2025. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit are required to take reasonable steps to prevent children from creating accounts. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars, equivalent to roughly €28 million.

The Australian ban does not punish children or their parents. It places responsibility entirely on the platforms. However, critics have raised concerns about privacy, since age verification requires collecting personal data, and about whether the ban might push young people to less regulated corners of the internet.

Several European countries are considering similar measures. Denmark has announced plans for a ban on social media for under-15s that could take effect in mid-2026. The European Commission is also exploring the idea.

Social media companies are facing increasing legal challenges over their impact on young users. This week, Snapchat's parent company Snap settled a lawsuit out of court with a 19-year-old American woman who claimed the app's design made her addicted and damaged her mental health. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The same woman has ongoing cases against Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), ByteDance (TikTok) and Alphabet (YouTube). Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in the upcoming trial.

Dutch policymakers have not yet committed to legislation, but the growing public support and developments abroad may increase pressure to act. The Newcom survey suggests that the debate is no longer simply about protecting children from adults' concerns. Young people themselves appear increasingly convinced that limits are needed.