Side by Side: How Old Must You Be to Have an Account?

On 12 October the Philippine House voted 287 to 3 to keep children under 13 off social media. The Senate’s version draws the line at 18, and a conference committee must now choose a birthday. Behind today’s Canberra vignette sits the country that went first. So, customs-style: how old must you be?

Australia

Sixteen, in force since 10 December 2025, with fines of up to A$49.5 million. In the first month 4.7 million accounts were “deactivated, removed or restricted.” The regulator called it “too early to declare full compliance.” The first country to build the gate is now counting the fence.

United States

No federal minimum age. The rule that bites is about data: verifiable parental consent before collecting it from under-13s, tightened by the FTC in January 2025. In June the House passed a bill restricting autoplay, infinite scroll and push notifications for minors, with no age ban. It is not law. Washington regulates the scrolling and leaves the birthday alone.

Canada

Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, introduced on 10 June, would bar under-16s but exempt platforms found to have “adequate safeguards.” It still needs both houses. A ban, with a side door clearly signposted.

Brazil

Since 17 March, under the ECA Digital law, an account for anyone under 16 must be linked to a legal guardian’s account. The child may join, provided a parent comes too.

United Kingdom

The government announced in June that under-16s will be barred from Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not WhatsApp or Signal. The regulations are to reach Parliament “before Christmas” and take effect in spring 2027. Childhood will be restored next spring, messaging excepted.

China

No minimum age for an account. A draft from the Cyberspace Administration would instead cap daily phone use at 40 minutes under 8, one hour from 8 to 15 and two hours at 16 and 17, with nothing between 10pm and 6am. Beijing does not ask how old you are. It asks what time it is.

United Arab Emirates

Fifteen, by cabinet resolution announced in June, with platforms given 12 months to comply. Parental consent “shall not constitute a valid exemption.” The only country here that will not take a note from home.

India

Everyone under 18 is a child under the data protection rules notified in November 2025, and handling their data needs verifiable parental consent. Penalties reach INR 2.5 billion per breach. The highest age on the list, enforced at the data rather than the door.

Verdict

The world agrees that childhood ends somewhere between 13 and 18, and on very little else. Canberra shuts the door, London lists the doors, Ottawa adds a side entrance, Brasília sends a chaperone, Beijing sets an alarm and New Delhi asks for the paperwork. Abu Dhabi refuses the note from home. Washington, home of most of the platforms, regulates the furniture. Manila, still choosing between 13 and 18, may yet split the difference and call it 15.5.