Mapping the spread of age-verification laws
Governments around the world are making age a condition for accessing certain parts of the internet. This page tracks where such laws are in force, where they are advancing, and how different countries are approaching the same policy goal.
Age verification laws
Europe
- Austria
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Governing coalition agreed (March 27, 2026) on a compulsory minimum age of 14 for social media(new window); draft legislation due end of June 2026.
Requirement: Children under 14 are not permitted to use social media.- Belgium (Flanders)
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms including Snapchat and TikTok
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Flemish government moving (announced April 2026(new window)) to set a statutory minimum age of 13 for "harmful" social media via decree, compelling platforms (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat) to verify age.
Requirement: Mandatory age verification to keep under-13s off covered social media; restrictions on addictive features (e.g., endless scrolling).- Denmark
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Government announced a political agreement(new window) (Nov 7, 2025) to ban under-15s from social media.
Requirement: Proposal would ban under-15s from using social media. Apps must employ age verification using Denmark’s electronic ID system(new window). Children 13 and older can access with parental consent.(new window)- Finland
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Gambling
Who verifies age: N/A
Legal basis: Lottery Act (new window)
Requirement: Users must be 18 or older to gamble; player registration requires strong (verified) identification to confirm age. Users must register with state-owned gambling company(new window) Veikkaus Oy.- France
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornographic / adult-content websites
Who verifies age: Website providers (via an independent third-party verifier)
Legal basis: SREN (2024)(new window)
Requirement: Adult sites must verify users are over 18 through an independent third party using a "double-blind" method (neither the site nor the verifier learns the user's identity).Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: French MPs approved law;(new window) on to senate
Requirement: Under-15s banned from using social media.- Germany
Content access
Status: Challenged in court(new window)
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Websites, porn providers
Legal basis: Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag
Requirement: Adult websites must confirm users are 18+ using methods such as in-person ID checks, online ID verification, or video-based identificationSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: N/A
Requirement: Social media would be banned for children under 14(new window), with youth-appropriate versions for children 14 to 16.- Greece
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Government announced (April 2026) a ban on under-15s accessing social media(new window), intended to take effect January 1, 2027
Requirement: Social media not accessible to children under 15; age verification via the Kids Wallet app- Italy
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography and other adult content accessible online
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Resolution No. 96/25/CONS(new window)
Requirement: Age verification for all websites that provide adult contentSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: DDL 1136(new window)
Requirement: Would bar under-15s from social media; 15-16 with parental consent.- Malta
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Adult content, pornography, gambling
Who verifies age: Service providers
Legal basis: Relies on the EU DSA framework(new window); Gambling age verification (18+) is established via the Malta Gaming Authority.
Requirement: Age verification for all websites that provide adult contentSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: PM Robert Abela announced (2026) that under-13s will be subject to social media restrictions(new window); details pending.
Requirement: TBD- Netherlands
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: N/A
Requirement: Coalition calls for an enforceable minimum age of 15 for social media(new window).- Norway
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: TBD
Requirement: Under-16s banned from using social media(new window)- Poland
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Pornography
Who verifies age: Service providers
Legal basis: Draft law (2025) on pornography age verification(new window)
Requirement: Age verification must be used to prevent access by minors.Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: TBD
Requirement: Social media would be inaccessible to under-15s(new window)- Portugal
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending (approved in principle Feb 12, 2026)
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Portugal's parliament approved a bill(new window) to limit social media platforms for under-16s.
Requirement: Social media to be banned for children under 13 and restricted for those under 16 (access requires parental consent)- Romania
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Pornography, adult websites, social media featuring adult content
Who verifies age: Website and platform providers
Legal basis: Digital Age of Majority Law(new window) adopted by the Senate (Oct 2025)
Requirement: Age verification for content legally restricted to adults; platforms with content inappropriate for under-16 users must employ age verification to block underage access- Slovakia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Video-sharing platforms
Who verifies age: Online providers
Legal basis: Law on Media Services (Law No. 264(new window)) 2022
Requirement: Video-sharing platforms must employ age-verification measures for content- Slovenia
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Slovenia government preparing draft legislation (confirmed Feb 2026 by Minister Matej Arčon(new window)) to bar under-15s from social media
Requirement: Under-15s would be banned from using social media.- Spain
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Spain announced (Feb 2026, Prime Minister Sánchez) a ban on under-16s using social media(new window)
Requirement: Under-16s would be banned from using social media; age-verification systems required- United Kingdom
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Adult websites, pornography
Who verifies age: Websites
Legal basis: Online Safety Act(new window)
Requirement: Adult websites must confirm users are 18+ using methods such as government IDs, facial scans, or bank documents.Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: User-to-user social media with algorithmic feeds (named: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, X). Messaging (WhatsApp, Signal) and YouTube Kids excluded.
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: UK Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 empowers ministers to restrict under-16s. On June 15, 2026, the government announced an under-16 social-media ban; regulations to be laid out by end of 2026, in force spring 2027(new window).
Requirement: Under-16s to be barred from in-scope social-media platforms; platforms must apply highly effective age assurance (e.g., ID upload or facial age estimation).
European Union
- EU-wide
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography and gambling platforms.
Who verifies age: Online platforms and video-sharing platforms.
Legal basis: Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)(new window) · Digital Services Act (DSA(new window)), Art. 28 · European Commission Age Verification Recommendation(new window) (April 2026)
Requirement: The AVMSD(new window) requires video-sharing platforms to use age verification or parental controls for the most harmful content (pornography, gratuitous violence), while the DSA(new window) mandates that platforms accessible to minors take appropriate, proportionate safety measures; to clarify this, the Commission's Guidelines on the Protection of Minors(new window) recommend strict age verification for adult content, though they remain non-binding.
United States
- Alabama
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography; adult websites; sites where material harmful to minors is a substantial portion of content
Who verifies age: Website provider
Legal basis: AL HB 164(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via any commercially available software, application, program, or methodology that confirms the individual accessing the website is 18 or older.Social networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Social media and algorithmic online services
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: AL HB 235(new window)
Requirement: Would prohibit users under 16 and require age verification before account creation on platforms that employ algorithms to analyze user data.App stores
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Mobile app store / app marketplace providers (and app developers).
Who verifies age: App store provider
Legal basis: AL HB 161(new window)
Requirement: App store providers must verify each user's age category (under 13; 13–15; 16–17; 18+) at account creation, affiliate a minor's account with a verified parent account, and obtain verifiable parental consent before a minor downloads or purchases an app or makes an in-app purchase.- Alaska
Social networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Alaska HB 271(new window)
Requirement: Would have required platforms to verify user age and obtain parental consent for minors; provisions removed before passage.- Arizona
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography; adult websites (sites where material harmful to minors is >1/3 of content).
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Arizona HB 2112(new window)
Requirement: Reasonable age verification (government-issued ID, digital ID apps, or verified transactional data). Verification data must not be retained after access is granted.- Arkansas
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites where >1/3 of content is material that may be harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website provider
Legal basis: Arkansas SB 66 / Act 612(new window)
Requirement: Government ID or commercial age verification system required before accessSocial networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms with at least $100M in annual revenue
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Arkansas Social Media Safety Act (SB396(new window)); blocked in courts(new window)
Requirement: Would have required users to provide a driver's license or photo ID to verify age, with parental consent for minors.- California
Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Social media platforms with algorithmically personalized feeds; businesses providing online services likely to be accessed by children
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: California SB 976 (new window)(Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act)
Requirement: Platforms must exclude minors under 18 from addictive algorithmic feeds unless parental consent is given; default settings must limit algorithmic recommendations to minors.App store
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Operating systems and app stores — device-level age signal covering access to apps (including content and social media)
Who verifies age: Operating system / app store providers
Legal basis: California AB 1043(new window)
Requirement: Operating system providers must provide an interface at device/account setup for the account holder to indicate the user's age, then transmit a real-time age-bracket signal (under 13; 13–15; 16–17; 18+) to app developers. Age is self-reported; no government ID required. App developers must request and act on the signal.- Colorado
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Websites knowingly publishing material harmful to children
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: SB 25-86(new window)
Requirement: Would have required covered websites to run age verification (including at least one identity-non-disclosing method) before access by users 18+.App stores
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Operating systems / computing devices — device-level age attestation covering access to apps and app stores.
Who verifies age: Operating system providers
Legal basis: SB 26-051(new window)
Requirement: Operating system providers must collect the user's age at account setup and provide an age-bracket signal to app developers via a real-time API; developers must request and act on the signal.- Connecticut
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms serving minors
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: SB 5(new window)
Requirement: Social media platforms must verify a user's age and, for minors, obtain parental consent before providing an algorithmic feed; default settings limit personalized-feed access and restrict overnight notifications (9 p.m.–8 a.m.); recurring mental-health warning labels required.- Florida
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Florida HB 3(new window)
Requirement: Age verification ensuring users are 18 or olderSocial networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Covered social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat)
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Florida HB 3(new window)
Requirement: Users under 14 prohibited from creating covered accounts; parental consent required for ages 14-15. Platforms must verify age using commercially reasonable methods.- Georgia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Adult websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Georgia SB 351(new window)
Requirement: Verification via digitized ID (e.g., driver's license or government-issued ID) or other commercially reasonable methodSocial networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok)
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Georgia SB 351(new window) (Social-media age-verification provision, Section 3-1, preliminarily enjoined June 2025 before July effective date; state appealing(new window)
Requirement: Platforms must verify user age; minors under 16 require parental consent.- Hawaii
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Hawaii HB 1212 and HB 1198
(new window)Requirement: Pending bills would address social media regulations and algorithmic feeds harmful to minors; HB 1212 would require age verification.- Idaho
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites where >1/3 of viewable content is material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Idaho HB 498(new window)
Requirement: Age verification using a digitized ID, government-issued ID, or a system relying on public or private transactional data. Identifying information must not be retained after access is grantedSocial networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Large social media platforms (≥ $1B annual ad revenue) serving minors; addictive feed/interface features
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Idaho HB 542 (new window)
Requirement: Covered platforms must determine users' ages and obtain verifiable parental consent before maintaining an account for a child (16 and under); bans addictive interface features and profile-based ads for children.- Illinois
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Commercial entities distributing materials harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Illinois SB 3945(new window)
Requirement: Would require reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or verified transactional data) to confirm users are 18+.Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: SB 2082(new window) and SB 2316(new window)
Requirement: Would require third-party age verification and parental consent before minors create accounts; access restrictions 10 p.m.-6 a.mApp stores
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Operating systems / app stores — device-level age signal covering apps (incl. social media).
Who verifies age: Operating system / app store provider
Legal basis: SB 3977(new window)
Requirement: Would require operating system providers to collect age at account setup and provide an age-category signal to app developers (no later than January 1, 2028), with default protections for known minors.- Indiana
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography; adult-oriented websites displaying material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Indiana SB 17(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via mobile credential, independent third-party age verification service, or commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data- Iowa
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Commercial entities operating an internet site or application where a substantial portion — 33% or more — of content is pornographic
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Iowa HF 864 (new window)
Requirement: Would require commercial entities to perform reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or commercially reasonable transactional data methods) before granting access to material harmful to minors.- Kansas
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Commercial entities where material harmful to minors appears on 25% or more of webpages in any calendar month
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: SB 394(new window)
Requirement: Age verification including via commercially available databases or other methods expressly approved by the Attorney General- Kentucky
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: For-profit websites whose business relies on creating, hosting, or making available content harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: HB 278(new window)
Requirement: Age verification using a state-issued ID, federal ID, or any commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data to prove the user is 18 or older(new window)- Louisiana
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Adult websites; sites where >1/3 of content is adult/pornographic or material harmful to minors.
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: HB 142 / Act 440 (new window)
Requirement: Digitized ID, commercial age verification using government-issued ID, or publicly available transactional data. Verification data must not be retainedSocial networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: SB 162 / Act 456(new window)
Requirement: Would have required platforms to verify user age and obtain parental consent for users under 16.App store
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: App stores / app marketplaces (Apple App Store, Google Play, etc.)
Who verifies age: App store provider
Legal basis: HB 977 / Act 185 (new window)
Requirement: App stores must use commercially reasonable methods to verify a user's age category, link minor accounts to a parent/guardian, and obtain parental consent before minors download apps or make in-app purchases; developers receive age-category data and assume related obligations.- Maine
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Any website that creates, hosts, or makes available content that is material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Maine LD 1873 / HP 1244(new window)
Requirement: Would require reasonable age verification to confirm users are 18+; businesses prohibited from retaining identifying information after verificationSocial networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: LD 844 / HP 530(new window)
Requirement: Would have prohibited under-14s from holding accounts and required parental consent for ages 14–15, with platform age verification- Maryland
Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Online products, services, or features reasonably likely to be accessed by minors under 18
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: HB 603 / SB 571(new window)
Requirement: Default high privacy settings for users under 18; restrictions on using children's data for personalized content/profiling; age-appropriate design requirements- Massachusetts
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Massachusetts H5295(new window)
Requirement: Bars under-16s from creating or keeping accounts; existing under-16 accounts terminated; one-time age verification via birth certificate or government-issued ID (information not retained)- Michigan
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Commercial entities whose websites contain a substantial portion of material harmful to minors.
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Michigan SB 191(new window)
Requirement: Would require commercial entities to perform reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or commercially reasonable transactional data methods) before granting access to material harmful to minorsSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms; online services with algorithmic targeting of minors
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Michigan SB 190(new window)
Requirement: Would require social media platforms to verify user age and obtain verifiable parental consent before minors under 18 can create or maintain accounts- Minnesota
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms; online interactive services reasonably likely to be accessed by minors, including algorithmic feed features
Who verifies age: Platform provider
Legal basis: Minnesota HF 4138 (new window)
Requirement: Requires parental consent for children under 16 to hold a social media account; accounts default to highest privacy settings; bans infinite scroll, autoplay video, and push notifications for minors- Mississippi
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites distributing material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Mississippi SB 2346(new window)
Requirement: Commercial age verification systems or verification of valid government IDs(new window)Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: HB 1126(new window)
Requirement: Requires age verification and parental consent for users under 18- Missouri
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites and apps where more than a third of material is harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Missouri 15 CSR 60-18.010(new window)
Requirement: Age verification using digital ID, other government-issued ID, or verified transactional data before access to websites, apps, or segments containing material harmful to minors- Montana
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites where more than a third of material may be harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Websites, porn providers
Legal basis: Montana SB 544(new window)
Requirement: Commercial age verification system (e.g., ID upload) confirming users are 18+ before access.- Nebraska
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: LB 1092(new window)
Requirement: Digitized ID, third-party age verification service, or any commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data. Verification data must not be retained.Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: LB 383(new window)
Requirement: Third-party age verification before account creation; minors under 18 need parental consent. Verification data must not be retained.- Nevada
Social networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Online platforms; certain gaming platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Nevada SB 63(new window)
Requirement: Would have required age verification, restrict features like infinite scrolling for minors under 18, and require parental approval- New Hampshire
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Pornographic websites; commercial entities publishing a substantial portion of pornographic material
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: New Hampshire SB 648(new window)
Requirement: Would have required commercial entities to perform reasonable age verification procedures (government-issued ID or transactional data methods) to confirm users are 18 or older before access to material harmful to minors.App stores
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Mobile app stores (also referenced social media platforms)
Who verifies age: App store providers
Legal basis: New Hampshire HB 1658(new window)
Requirement: Would have require app stores to verify user age and obtain parental consent for minors under 18 before allowing app downloads.- New Jersey
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Sexually oriented online entities distributing sexually explicit material
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: S1826(new window) and A3228(new window)
Requirement: Would require commercial entities to perform reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or commercially reasonable transactional data methods) before granting access to sexually explicit obscene material onlineSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms, device operating systems, and app stores (federal Parents Decide Act)
Who verifies age: Platform providers, OS / app store providers (federal proposal)
Legal basis: State: S3993(new window)(new window)
Requirement: Would require age verification and parental/guardian consent before minors open social media accounts, and prohibit certain direct messaging between adults and unrelated minors- New Mexico
App stores
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Device manufacturers, app stores
Who verifies age: Device manufacturers, app store providers, OS developers
Legal basis: New Mexico HB 313(new window)
Requirement: Would require covered manufacturers and app stores to implement age-estimation technology, provide real-time age signals, and require parental consent for users under 16- New York
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms, services with algorithmically personalized feeds
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: S7694A(new window)
Requirement: Age-determination technology required to restrict addictive personalized feeds and nighttime notifications (midnight-6 a.m.) for users under 18 unless parental consent is granted- North Carolina
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Commercial websites where more than a third of content is legally defined as “harmful to minors”
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: North Carolina HB 8(new window)
Requirement: Commercial age verification system; third-party verification services must destroy personal identifying information after confirmationSocial networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted service: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: North Carolina HB 301(new window)
Requirement: Would ban accounts for users under 14 and require parental consent for ages 14-15; third-party age verification required.- North Dakota
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornographic websites, sites were a third of content is sexually explicit
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: North Dakota SB 2380(new window) and HB 1561(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via government ID, a commercially available database, or any commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data to verify the user is 18+- Ohio
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites publishing or distributing material harmful to juveniles, adult/pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website provider
Legal basis: Ohio HB 96(new window)
Requirement: Reasonable age verification (government-issued photo ID or transactional data through a commercial age verification system); geofence check against Ohio users; re-verification every two yearsSocial networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Ohio HB 33(new window)
Requirement: Require platforms to verify user age and obtain parental consent for minors- Oklahoma
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites with material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Oklahoma SB 1959(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via digitized IDs, third-party service, aggregate government-databases, or any reasonable method relying on public records or private transactional dataSocial networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Oklahoma HB 1275(new window) and SB 1871(new window)
Requirement: Would have prohibited users under 16 from creating accounts; require parental consent for ages 16-17; platforms must verify age before account creation.- Oregon
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Commercial entities distributing sexual material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Oregon HB 2032(new window)
Requirement: Requires age verification; verifier must destroy or delete information that could identify the individual
(new window)- Pennsylvania
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Pennsylvania HB 1513(new window) and SB 603(new window)
Requirement: Would require commercial entities to perform reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or commercially reasonable transactional data methods) before granting access to material harmful to minors- Rhode Island
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms with at least 5 million worldwide account holders
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: SB 2968(new window)
Requirement: Would require parental/guardian consent before minors can create or maintain accounts; strict age verification; parental account-access and monitoring capabilities.- South Carolina
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted service: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: South Carolina H 3424(new window)
Requirement: Website providers must prevent minors from accessing adult content (government-issued ID required in practice).Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Social media platforms; online services reasonably likely to be accessed by minors
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: South Carolina HB 3431(new window)
Requirement: Data collected for age verification can only be used for that purpose and must be deleted after use. Minors under 18 cannot hold accounts without parental consent- South Dakota
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornographic websites
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: South Dakota HB 1053(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via state-issued driver’s license or non-driver ID; bank account information; a debit/credit card requiring age 18+; or any reliable method- Tennessee
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Pornography; websites where a third of content is material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Tennessee SB 1792(new window)
Requirement: Age verification through government ID or transactional data (e.g., employment records). Re-verification required after each 60-minute sessionSocial networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Social media platforms including X, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Tennessee HB 1891(new window)
Requirement: Third-party age verification within two weeks of signup; minors under 18 require parental consent- Texas
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites where a third of content is sexual material harmful to minors)
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Texas HB 1181(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via government-issued ID or commercially reasonable method using transactional data. Verification data must not be retained.Social networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Service providers publishing or distributing content, social media platforms including X, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Texas SCOPE Act HB 18(new window)
Requirement: Service providers must verify the age of account creators; providers that knowingly publish harmful or obscene content must use commercially reasonable age verification.App stores
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: App stores / app marketplaces (Apple App Store, Google Play, etc.)
Who verifies age: App store providers
Legal basis: Texas SB 2420(new window)
Requirement: App stores must use commercially reasonable methods to determine a user’s age; minor accounts must be linked to a parent/guardian; parental consent required before minors download apps or make in-app purchases; developers must classify apps into age categories.- Utah
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Utah SB 287(new window)
Requirement: Age verification systems required to verify user age.Social networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act, SB 194(new window) with HB 464(new window)
Requirement: Age assurance and verifiable parental consent for minors; default high-privacy settings for minor accounts (disabled search indexing, restricted DMs, data encryption); HB 464 adds daily time limits, an overnight curfew, and removal of addictive design features (autoplay, infinite scroll, push notifications).App stores
Status: Implemented
Targeted Service: Mobile app stores (App Store, Google Play, etc.)
Who verifies age: App store providers
Legal basis: Utah App Store Accountability Act (SB 142(new window)) and HB 498(new window)
Requirement: Major app stores must verify user age and obtain parental consent for users under 18 before app download.- Vermont
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Online services, products, or features accessed by minors
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (S.69(new window))
Requirement: Covered businesses must default all privacy settings for users under 18 to the highest level. Age-appropriate design requirements apply.- Virginia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Virginia SB 1515(new window)
Requirement: Age verification systems required to verify user age.Social networks
Status: Blocked or paused
Targeted services: Social media platforms with more than 5 million users
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Virginia SB 854(new window)
Requirement: Platforms must use commercially reasonable methods to determine if a user is under 16; limit such minors to one hour of use per day unless parental consent allows more. Verification data limited to age-determination purposes.- Washington
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Adult websites; sites where a third of content is sexual material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Washington HB 2112(new window)
Requirement: Would have required commercial entities publishing material harmful to minors to perform reasonable age verification (government-issued ID or commercially reasonable transactional data methods) before granting access, with a prohibition on retaining verification data.- West Virginia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Websites and apps with pornographic/sexually explicit material or material harmful to minors
Who verifies age: Websites or app providers
Legal basis: West Virginia HB 4412(new window)
Requirement: Digital ID (e.g. West Virginia Mobile ID) or age-verification system accepting government-issued IDs or public/private transactional data, as mandated by the West Virginia Office of Technology.- Wisconsin
Content access
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Websites publishing material harmful to minors.
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Wisconsin AB 105(new window)
Requirement: Business entities cannot knowingly publish or distribute material harmful to minors online as a substantial portion of content without reasonable age verification.Social networks
Status: Failed
Targeted services: Large social media platforms and online services accessed by minors
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Wisconsin AB-963(new window) / SB-936(new window)
Requirement: Would impose age verification, parental consent, and heightened default privacy settings for minors on large platforms- Wyoming
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Any website that “creates, hosts, or makes available content that is material harmful to minors” (obscene material or child pornography); no content-threshold exemption.
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: Wyoming HB 43(new window)
Requirement: Age verification via: state-issued driver’s license or ID; US passport or military card; tribal ID card; credit/debit card requiring cardholder to be 18+; or any other reliable method
Federal bills
- SCREEN Act
Content access
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Adult content
Who verifies age: Website providers
Legal basis: SCREEN Act — S. 737(new window)
Requirement: Requires providers to determine, with a “reasonable degree of certainty”, whether a user is 18 or older- RESET Act
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media
Who verifies age: Platform provider
Legal basis: RESET Act — H.R. 6488(new window)
Requirement: Prohibits platforms from allowing accounts for users under 16- Parents Over Platforms Act
App stores
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted Service: App stores (App Store, Google Play, etc.)
Who verifies age: App store providers
Legal basis: Parents Over Platforms Act — H.R. 6333(new window)
Requirement: App stores must ask account holders to declare age at creation and use commercially reasonable efforts to verify with “a reasonable level of certainty”. Must build an “age signal” system letting developers query whether a user is a minor (<18), adult (18+), or in an age range (shared only with consent). Must give parents the ability to block a minor from acquiring/using any covered application.- Parents Decide Act
App stores
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Operating systems / app stores
Who verifies age: OS providers
Legal basis: Parents Decide Act — H.R. 8250 (new window)
Requirement: Operating systems must collect date of birth at OS setup; for users under 18, a parent/guardian must verify the date of birth.
Rest of the world
- Australia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Adult websites, pornographic services, R-rated video games, sexually explicit chatbots
Who verifies age: Websites, platform owners
Legal basis: Online Safety Act(new window) (eSafety industry codes)
Requirement: Users must verify they are over 18 before accessing adult content and adult websites.Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Designated social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Threads, Reddit, Twitch
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024(new window)
Requirement: Platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating or keeping accounts.(new window)- Brazil
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Adult websites, pornographic services
Who verifies age: Websites and service providers
Legal basis: Digital ECA (Lei 15.211/2025)(new window)
Requirement: All under-18s must verify age before accessing adult websites.Social networks
Status: Challenged in court
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Digital Child and Adolescent Statute (Digital ECA, Lei 15.211/2025(new window))
Requirement: Children under 12 may only use social networks specifically designed for minors. All under-16s must have their accounts linked to a parent or guardian. All under-18s must verify age.- China
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Online games and social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Law on the Protection of Minors (Art. 75)(new window)(new window)
Requirement: Real-name/age verification via the national system; minors restricted by age tier on time, content, and contact; under-18 gaming limited to set hoursApp stores
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Mobile app distribution platforms
Who verifies age: App stores
Legal basis: Under the CAC minors' mode guidelines(new window), app distribution platforms coordinate with devices and apps via a "three-party linkage" to manage time, content, and permissions for minor accounts.(new window)(new window)
Requirement: App stores must support minors' mode (single-step activation across device, apps, and store) and restrict age-inappropriate downloads.- Indonesia
Content access
Status: Implemented
Targeted Service: Pornography providers
Who verifies age: N/A
Legal basis: Law No. 44 of 2008 (UU Pornografi)(new window)
Requirement: Bans producing, distributing, broadcasting, selling or possessing pornographic materialSocial networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media and games (8 named: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, Roblox).
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Indonesia Government Regulation No. 17/2025 (new window)(new window)
Requirement: Electronic System Operators must verify users' age, obtain verifiable parental consent for under-16s, apply privacy-by-default for child users, and delete age data after verification.- Malaysia
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Malaysia Online Safety Act 2025(new window)
Requirement: Large platforms must be licensed and protect child users; age-verification rules require platforms to keep under-16s from holding accounts.- Singapore
App stores
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: App distribution services (Apple, Google, Huawei, Samsung, Microsoft)
Who verifies age: App store operators
Legal basis: IMDA Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services(new window)(new window)(new window)
Requirement: App stores must estimate/verify users' age and block under-18s from downloading age-restricted apps.- Turkey
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Law No. 7578 (new window)(new window)(new window)
Requirement: Under-15s barred from creating social media accounts; platforms must verify users' age. Parental controls apply for ages 15-17- United Arab Emirates
Social networks
Status: Proposed or pending
Targeted services: Social media platforms
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: On June 18, 2026, the government announced that social media will be banned for children under 15(new window), with safeguards for 15-16 year-olds.(new window)(new window)
Requirement: Under-15s to be barred from social media accounts; platforms must verify age and apply safeguards for 15-16 year-olds.- Vietnam
Social networks
Status: Implemented
Targeted services: Social media / online information services; online games
Who verifies age: Platform providers
Legal basis: Decree 147/2024/ND-CP(new window)(new window)(new window)
Requirement: Large platforms must be licensed and protect child users; age-verification rules require platforms to keep under-16s from holding accounts.
