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

The Cypriot Cabinet has approved a new Action Plan to protect minors online, proposing to establish 15 as the minimum "digital age of majority" for accessing social media platforms. The initiative responds to data showing that 98% of young people in Cyprus use social media—the highest rate in the EU—and concerns from international organizations regarding addictive behaviors and risks to mental health. The government aims to address the challenges of information evaluation and the negative impacts of excessive screen time, which averages four to six hours per day for European youth.

Under the proposed legislation, the responsibility for enforcing age restrictions will shift to the social media platforms themselves. Companies will be required to implement reliable, privacy-compliant age-verification mechanisms. Cyprus intends to integrate a central age-verification solution currently being developed by the European Commission into its own 'Digital Citizen' application. Before the bill is finalized, the government will conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment and initiate public consultations via the 'Voice of the Citizen' platform. The draft law is scheduled to be submitted to the House of Representatives for a vote in December.