Estonia and Belgium Reject EU Child Social Media Ban

Estonia and Belgium have emerged as the only two European Union member states to decline the Jutland Declaration, a pan-European commitment established in October 2025 to restrict children’s access to social media platforms.

The declaration, signed on 10 October 2025 by digital ministers from 25 of the 27 EU member states during an informal gathering in Horsens, Denmark, also included signatures from Norway and Iceland. It serves as a non-binding political commitment aimed at establishing a digital legal age for accessing online services.

The framework focuses on three primary regulatory goals: implementing privacy-preserving age verification on social media, protecting minors from dark patterns and addictive design features, and creating a standardized age of access for digital services.

Estonia’s Principled Opposition

Estonia’s refusal to sign the declaration is described as a principled stance regarding the efficacy of digital regulation. Estonian ministers argue that age-based bans are fundamentally unenforceable because children will consistently find technical ways to bypass such restrictions.

Instead of restricting the participation of young people in the information society, Estonia advocates for a regulatory approach focused on the platforms themselves. The Estonian government suggests that the correct path is to strictly enforce the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) against social media companies and increase investment in digital literacy.

Belgium’s Procedural Concerns

Belgium’s opposition differed from Estonia’s, rooted more in procedural and proportionality concerns. The refusal was triggered by a veto from Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter.

Van Achter characterized the age verification requirements outlined in the declaration as disproportionate. Specifically, the Belgian official objected to the possibility of requiring children to utilize national identity systems, such as Itsme, to gain access to common social media services like Instagram or YouTube.

Broadening Global Trends in Age Restriction

The Jutland Declaration reflects a significant shift in how governments are approaching youth social media use, with momentum for restrictions accelerating throughout 2025 and into 2026.

Several countries have already moved toward implementing strict age-based prohibitions:

• Australia implemented the first global ban on users under 16 in December 2025.
• France passed legislation in January 2026 prohibiting access for those under 15.
• Spain enacted restrictions for children under 16 in February 2026.
• Austria has moved to restrict access for children under 14.

These developments signal a move toward more aggressive state intervention in the design and accessibility of internet platforms, contrasting with Estonia’s preference for data protection enforcement and education over blanket access bans.