Cyprus cabinet approves plan to set 15 as minimum age for social media

On September 16, 2026, the Cypriot Cabinet approved a comprehensive action plan aimed at protecting minors online. The central provision of this plan is the establishment of a "digital age of majority" set at 15 years, which would prohibit access to social media platforms for children below this age. The initiative follows reports that 98% of young people in Cyprus—the highest rate in the EU—actively use social media, which the government links to addictive behaviors and poor information evaluation skills.

The government, represented by Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou, intends to shift the responsibility for age verification onto the platforms themselves, requiring them to implement reliable mechanisms. Before the finalization of the legislation, the government will conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment and initiate a public consultation process via the "Voice of the Citizen" platform. The bill is expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives for a vote in December 2026, with plans to integrate age-verification technology into the national Digital Citizen application within the coming year.