According to UvA researchers, it is legally possible to introduce a minimum age of 15 for ‘unsafe’ social media in the Netherlands without waiting for new EU legislation. Other European countries, such as France and Spain, are already developing similar national bans.

However, researchers advise a unified European approach. The Netherlands cannot independently enforce rules against major international platforms like TikTok or Instagram; that enforcement authority lies exclusively with the European Commission.

Furthermore, digital age verification remains a major obstacle. Sharing additional personal data with platforms to verify age creates significant privacy risks. Moreover, age checks are easily bypassed, as demonstrated by current practices in Australia. Finally, the government still needs to establish clear frameworks defining exactly when an app should be classified as ‘unsafe’.