Slovenia Moves to Ban Social Media for Under-15s, Joining EU Regulatory Wave

Ljubljana, February 6, 2026. The European wave of social media regulation has reached Slovenia. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Matej Arčon, announced that the government is preparing a bill to ban access to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for individuals under the age of 15. The initiative comes from the Ministry of Education and, according to the official, aims to protect the mental health and safety of the younger generation.

“In recent weeks and months, this topic has been actively discussed around the world and in Europe, and by this, we, as a government, are demonstrating our care for our children,”

Arčon emphasized after a cabinet meeting, as reported by Reuters.

Slovenia Falls In Line

Ljubljana’s initiative is part of a clear European trend. As Reuters notes, Slovenia (population approx. 2 million) is following the example of Spain and Greece, which this week also proposed strict restrictions. Spain intends to block social media access for teens under 16, Greece for children under 15. The UK and France are also studying the possibility of tightening measures.

The first precedent was set by Australia, which in December 2025 became the first country in the world to legislatively ban access to social platforms for those under 16. The reaction from industry giants was swift: in early January, Meta blocked nearly 550,000 accounts in Australia falling under the ban.

A Technical and Ethical Puzzle

Drafting such laws poses complex questions for governments. How to technically enforce the ban? What principle should be used to determine a user’s age—via passport data, bank verification, or school registers? And most importantly: could this lead to children mass-migrating to an even less regulated digital underground, using VPNs and their parents’ data?

Slovenia, it seems, is attempting a systematic approach. Arčon stated that experts in education and digital technology will be involved in drafting the law. This could mean seeking a balance between a hard ban and implementing parental control tools or digital literacy education programs.

What This Means for Business and the IT Sector

For global IT companies, the growing regulation in the EU is a new challenge requiring adaptation of products and business models. Tightening age restrictions could affect the audience and monetization of platforms, especially those targeting youth. For the Ukrainian IT market, closely linked to Europe, these trends are also important. Software development companies, including those creating educational and entertainment apps, should consider stricter age requirements when entering EU markets. Furthermore, demand for age verification and parental control solutions may grow—a niche where Ukrainian startups could make their mark. This regulatory shift presents both a compliance challenge and a potential market opportunity for international tech firms looking to develop or invest in age assurance technologies.

It is clear that the era of the “digital Wild West” for underage users in Europe is coming to an end. The question now is how smart and effective the new rules of the game will be.