Age Verification on Social Media in 2025: Laws, Technologies, and Key Risks Explained 

Despite the majority of social media platforms setting a minimum user age of 13, underage usage is widespread. For example, nearly 40% of children aged 8-12 in the US use some form of social media. Concerns about children having unrestricted access to social media platforms have prompted a push in many countries around the world for age limits to be taken more seriously through stricter age verification measures. 

Legislative efforts, like GDPR in the EU and the proposed Social Media Child Protection Act in the US, aim to protect children’s data and make sure age restrictions are more robust. In spite of these legal initiatives and new restrictions, reports indicate that many children are able to bypass minimum age requirements, as most platforms only require users to self-declare their age, with little to no additional layer of verification. 

In Australia, for example, over a third of children aged 8-12 who had used social media had their own accounts, often with help from parents or carers. This underscores the importance of robust age verification and reverification.

This guide explores the reasons why age limits on social media are important, how global legislation and technology sectors are responding, how to choose a reliable verification provider, and what might be next for age restriction regulations.

Why are age restrictions on social media more critical than ever in 2025?

Social media age restrictions are in place to protect young users from content and situations that could hinder their healthy development. These include accessing age-inappropriate materials and exposure to addictive user interfaces, misinformation, highly stressful social situations, depression, cyberbullying, and interactions with potentially dangerous strangers posing as their peers.

Studies into the impact of social media on young people, including those older than 13, underscore how excessive social media use can affect brain development during adolescence.

A 2023 study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that adolescents who checked social media more than 15 times per day became more sensitive to social feedback. 

Mitch Prinstein, the co-author of the study and chief science officer for the American Psychological Association, said:

Our research demonstrates that checking behaviors on social media could have long-standing and important consequences for adolescents’ neural development, which is critical for parents and policy-makers to consider when understanding the benefits and potential harms associated with teen technology use.

This is reinforced by a study published in 2024, which reveals adolescents diagnosed with internet addiction showed decreased functional connectivity in parts of the brain responsible for memory and decision-making. 

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in March 2025 added how prolonged exposure to social media can affect the prefrontal cortex, which is part of the brain involved in impulse control and decision-making, and the amygdala, which processes emotions and anxiety. 

Moreover, some research suggests that social media can amplify existing risk factors for suicide, such as sleep disturbance, depression, hopelessness, social isolation, bullying, and exposure to suicidal behavior in others.

Many social media platforms try to maximize engagement with algorithms that can push content that is potentially harmful to children. Age restrictions are an attempt to prevent children’s exposure to situations that could affect their development and mental health.

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Which countries enforce age verification laws?

Many jurisdictions have responded to these troubling findings with legal initiatives to enforce age verification. For example, French President Macron said that he intends to ban social media for under-15s in the country if there is no age verification progress at an EU level, adding, “we cannot wait.”

Australia passed what’s considered one of the world’s strictest laws of its kind, banning children under 16 from using social media. Australia’s legislative efforts are part of a global wave to take age verification more seriously, with echoes of this sentiment found across the world. 

These regulatory developments also align with international principles outlined in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasizes the rights of children, including the right to privacy.

	Age Limit	Relevant Laws	Implementation
Australia	Planned increase to 16	Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024	The Act prohibits children under 16 from accessing social media platforms without verified parental consent. The law is set to take effect in December 2025.
European Union	Generally 13; some countries have raised it as high as 16	Digital Services Act (DSA)	The DSA requires very large online platforms (VLOPs) to mitigate risks to minors, including effective age verification where appropriate.
United Kingdom	13, with a push toward 16	Online Safety Act 2023	Ofcom mandates platforms to apply proportionate age assurance for harmful content. Age verification is expected for high-risk services, especially those with adult content.
United States of America	Generally 13; some states have raised it as high as 18	COPPA; Kids Online Safety Act (Proposed); Social Media Child Protection Act (Proposed)	COPPA restricts data collection from users under 13 but doesn’t require strict age verification. However, states like Nebraska have introduced laws requiring platforms to verify ages and parental consent for minors.

What are US states doing to regulate social media access by age? 

In addition to US federal initiatives, there have been multiple state-level pushes to regulate social media access for minors. These include:

Texas

Texas has enacted the App Store Accountability Act, requiring app stores like Apple and Google to verify user ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases. Following this, Texas has proposed Texas House Bill 186, which would ban children under 18 from social media.

Florida

A 2024 law banning social media accounts for children under 14 and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds was blocked by a federal judge in June 2025. The judge ruled the law was likely to be unconstitutional, infringing on minors’ First Amendment rights.

Nebraska

In May 2025, Nebraska enacted the Parental Rights in Social Media Act (LB 383), mandating that social media platforms verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before allowing minors under 18 to create accounts. It is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Georgia

Georgia’s SB 351, effective from July 1, 2025, mandates social media age verification and requires parental consent for users under 16. 

California

California’s Digital Age Assurance Act, introduced in 2025, aims to create a system for age verification on digital devices and apps. The bill is currently under consideration.

What privacy concerns are associated with age verification?

Age verification can involve collecting sensitive data, which raises privacy concerns, especially when children are involved. The main risks stem from how this data is collected, stored, and shared. If leaked, items like government IDs or selfies could lead to identity fraud.

As verification tends to apply to all users, not just minors, there are wider social concerns around surveillance and the misuse of personal information. 

To balance safety with privacy, platforms must partner with trusted verification providers that offer secure, compliant, and user-friendly solutions, ensuring strong protection for minors without compromising user rights or digital access.

How do social media platforms verify user age?

Depending on their legal obligations, social media platforms may use a variety of methods to verify user age. Among the most typical approaches are:

1. Self-declaration
   This is a widespread method in which users are asked to input their dates of birth when signing up. While this may be the easiest option to implement, it relies entirely on user honesty and children can easily bypass it, meaning it isn’t a true form of age verification.
   
2. ID checks
   Government IDs, like passports and driving licenses, can be uploaded via third-party services and checked against databases to verify user ages. Third-party services can also check whether documents have been tampered with.
   
3. AI facial age estimation
   In addition to liveness checks to make sure someone is real at the onboarding stage, AI tools can be used to analyze live selfies or uploaded photos to estimate a user’s age. Privacy concerns and false positives or negatives have the potential to be problematic.
   
4. Behavioral analytics
   AI models can also analyze user behavior patterns, device usage, and metadata to flag potentially underage users.
   
5. Mobile network verification
   Platforms can cross-reference a user’s mobile phone number with records from mobile network operators, which may include the subscriber’s date of birth.
   
6. Reverification
   Platforms may periodically reverify a user’s age to ensure ongoing compliance, which may involve AI selfie age estimation. This can be triggered if a user tries to change their birthdate, such as from under 18 to over 18. Reverification helps catch users who initially bypassed checks that may have been outdated.
   
7. Credit card checks
   Credit card details can be checked against databases to confirm a user’s age. This is often used for age verification for services for users over the age of 18 as this is typically the age at which users can sign up for credit cards.

Suggested read: Documentary vs Non-Documentary Verification (2025)

What technologies are used for age verification in 2025?

Age verification technologies have advanced significantly, allowing platforms to meet growing regulatory demands and balance checks with user privacy. AI-powered tools are at the forefront of age verification, both on social media platforms and other age-restricted services.

Key age verification technologies include:

• AI-powered tools: AI can be used in many ways to verify age. AI can analyze user interactions and device data to detect suspicious age-related signals for further review. AI can also analyze selfies to estimate user ages.
  
• OCR: Automated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) reads government-issued IDs, passports, or driver’s licenses, which can be checked against databases for verification and combined with AI to detect forgeries.
  
• Biometric authentication: Device-level biometric checks, like fingerprints or facial recognition, may be used to verify age and provide secure and frictionless verification.
  
• Parental consent platforms: Secure digital workflows let parents and guardians verify and approve underage users while complying with local laws.

How can online platforms implement age verification checks?

Effective age verification is a matter of ongoing debate, but it generally requires a balance between legal compliance, user-friendly experience, and solid privacy practices. Here are some of the best practices platforms should be following:

1. Understand legal and business requirements
   Start by thoroughly reviewing applicable social media laws, regulations, and business requirements to define age verification obligations clearly.
   
2. Choose appropriate verification methods
   Select reliable and privacy-conscious methods that fit your user base and regulatory responsibilities.
   
3. Integrate seamlessly into user flows
   Embed age checks smoothly within registration without disrupting platform user experience. A unified, all-in-one verification process can help to minimize drop-offs and confusion.
   
4. Implement layered enforcement and monitoring
   Combine proactive age checks with ongoing monitoring to detect suspicious activity or false declarations.
   
5. Provide transparency and appeals
   Clearly communicate why and how age data is collected, stored, and used. Offer users an easy appeals process if verification fails or errors occur.
   
6. Test, optimize, and maintain compliance
   Continuously monitor verification processes for effectiveness, usability, and legal compliance. Adapt quickly to evolving regulations and technologies.
   
7. Design user-friendly interfaces
   Prioritize simple, accessible designs that guide users clearly through age verification steps, including support for users who may need extra assistance.

Suggested read: What is Device Fingerprinting? (2024)

What’s next for global age assurance regulation?

Social media platforms continue to be an important part of most people’s lives. However, the harms associated with underage social media use are becoming clearer, and regulators are increasingly focusing on strengthening age assurance frameworks. 

We have already seen many countries across the world moving to introduce or tighten laws that require robust age verification processes, and it is probable we will see this pattern continue as technology makes age verification not only more possible but simpler.

Fines for non-compliance are rising sharply—Australia, for instance, has signaled tougher penalties, with other regions likely to follow. In extreme cases, platforms may even be forced to suspend operations if they fail to meet regulatory standards.

Privacy concerns and user rights remain central to the ongoing debate on age verification, making solutions that provide secure and regulatory-compliant checks of user age and identity essential. 

In summary, with new technological applications, privacy rules, and growing evidence of the harms of social media to young people’s development, the landscape for companies and users is likely to change. 

As such, to stay compliant and avoid potentially huge fines, social media companies must monitor regulatory changes and proactively adapt their strategies. Choosing a smart, reliable age verification provider is now critical—for both legal compliance and safeguarding young users worldwide.

• How can social media verify age?

  Social media platforms can verify age using methods like credit card checks, government ID scans, AI-powered facial age estimations, biometric checks, and sometimes parental consent systems.

• Are age verification apps safe to use?

  When regulated and designed with strong data protection practices in place, age verification apps are safe to use. However, users should ensure they are using services they trust that protect privacy.

• Which US states do not require age verification on social media?

  Many US states lack specific age verification mandates for social media. Missouri, for example, rejected a bill that would have required minors to get parental consent to use social media platforms.

• What counts as age verification under current laws?

  Age verification typically involves confirming user age through government-issued ID checks, selfie or photo upload analysis, biometric methods, or verified parental consent, depending on the jurisdiction.

• Can users bypass age verification on social media platforms?

  Yes, users may sometimes bypass checks by providing false information. This is why many platforms are enhancing verification and monitoring, focusing on liveness detection technologies and reverification.