Bill in Portugal approved to limit children’s access to social media

Fahad Redha

February 13, 2026
3 min read

Bill in Portugal approved to limit children’s access to social media

The parliament of Portugal has approved a bill to require parental consent for children between 13 and 16 years-old to access social media. Authors of the draft legislation from the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) say it is necessary to combat cyberbullying, online predators, and harmful content.

A public system called a Digital Mobile Key (DMK) would be used by parents to give consent, while also working to enforce the existing ban on children under 13 years-old from accessing social media, video or image sharing sites, and online betting platforms. Tech providers would also be required to adopt an age verification system that is compatible with the DMK.

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The bill was approved with 148 votes in favour, 69 against, and 13 abstaining. It can still be altered before the final vote.

Portugal joins France which, a month ago, backed a law to ban under-15s from social media due to rising concerns about cyberbullying and mental health. Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from social media in a law which came into effect last December.

Portugal’s bill says it fills a regulatory gap that has allowed “multinational digital platforms to set rules unilaterally,” affecting the cognitive and emotional development of young children, especially those with early and/or excessive exposure.

“We have to protect our children, we don’t intend to prohibit for the sake of prohibiting, we intend to create a norm to give more power to parents and families, to accompany and control,” PSD lawmaker Paulo Marcelo said before the vote. Tech companies, he added, who ignore the restrictions face fines of up to 2% of their global revenue.

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