How Age Restrictions Are Changing Social Media for Young People

We all want to reach Gen Z, but what if you won’t be able to target them anymore? Age restrictions on social media platforms have become a hot topic in recent years. Increasingly, new measures are being implemented to protect teens between the ages of 13 and 18. With the rise of AI and other developments, digital youth protection is becoming more and more crucial.

Global age restrictions

As frequently reported in the news, more and more countries are introducing age restrictions on social media platforms, making it harder (or even impossible) for young people under a certain age to access popular platforms. The most recent example is Australia: following restrictions on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, YouTube will now follow. Starting December 2025, teens in Australia will no longer be allowed to use these platforms.

A platform ban is already a major move, but we’re also seeing countries and platforms taking aligned steps. The UK, for example, has made significant progress with the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which aims to prevent children from accessing content that isn’t meant for them. Platforms are also taking protective measures themselves. TikTok, for instance, uses AI-powered facial recognition to estimate a user’s age, teen accounts are private by default, and personalized ads are limited. Meta and YouTube are making similar changes. YouTube recently rolled out technology to estimate the age of teenage users in the U.S., applying additional protections where needed (such as turning off personalized ads).

But what about the Netherlands?

Stricter regulations in the Netherlands now seem inevitable, especially with growing pressure around digital child safety. The Digital Services Act (DSA) already urges platforms to implement stricter age verification across all channels. While there isn’t yet a national ban in the Netherlands, the issue is gaining political traction. The Dutch House of Representatives wants to introduce a minimum age requirement for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

What does this mean for marketeers?

Do you target teens aged 13 to 18? Then there’s a lot to consider as part of your audience may soon become unreachable. Think about:

• Smaller reach within your target group
• Adjusted tone of voice and content style
• Increased focus on older audiences
• Changing targeting possibilities

Age-conscious strategies are now more important than ever, not a nice-to-have, but a must. Those who keep up with the changes and respond quickly will stay relevant and win the hearts of young people (and their parents).