BRUSSELS: The European Parliament called on Wednesday for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, to combat a rise in mental health problems among adolescents from excessive exposure. The call, which is not binding, comes as Australia is poised to institute the world’s first social media ban for children younger than 16 and as Denmark and Malaysia also plan bans.

Move comes as a growing number of countries are rolling out measures to limit children's exposure to digital platforms.

Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under 16 from 2026, addressing growing concerns over children's online safety.