Majority of Germans back social media ban for under 16s

Last updated: December 14, 2025 9:43 pm

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Social media can be addictive - because of this and other dangers, the protection of children and young people is also being discussed in Germany. Photo: Alicia Windzio/dpa

More than half of Germans support a ban on social media use for young people under 16, according to a survey conducted by the Insa Institute for Sunday’s edition of the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.The poll found that 60% of respondents were in favour of such a ban, while 24% opposed it. A total of 10% said they did not care, and 6% either did not answer or were unsure.

The survey comes as Australia this week implemented new rules restricting social media use for young people. Since December 10, children and teens under 16 are no longer allowed to have accounts on many major platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, X, Reddit and Twitch.

The controversial legislation was passed at the end of 2024 and has now taken effect.

For the survey, the opinion research institute Insa interviewed 1,003 people on December 11 and 12.