"'Wild West is Over': Tánaiste Demands Under-16s Be Banned from Social Media"

Tánaiste Simon Harris has called for Ireland to prohibit social media use by under-16s, declaring the era of platform "self-regulation" is over and warning that tech companies "can't be above the law".

Speaking on Virgin Media One's Ireland AM yesterday (28 January 2026), the Tánaiste said the Government will begin engaging social media platforms on an age verification rollout from March, with the aim of enforcing Ireland's existing digital age of consent.

Simon Harris, Tánaiste: "

The era of self-regulation is now over. There are now laws. There are now fines that can be levied. We need to actually see kind of a bit of baring of teeth here, there are actually laws, and they can't be above the law. This can't be the wild west anymore."

He added that while some platforms are willing to participate in age verification trials, he believes Ireland must reach a point where "if you're under the age of 16, you can't be on social media".

The proposal builds on Ireland's existing legal framework. The Data Protection Act 2018 already sets the digital age of consent at 16, meaning online services should obtain parental consent for younger users' data processing. However, the Data Protection Commission has noted this does not automatically require parental consent in every case, as platforms may rely on other legal bases under GDPR.

The Government has been developing an age verification mechanism through a Digital Wallet based on MyGovID, with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport working alongside the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer. RTÉ previously reported a pilot was planned for the first quarter of 2026, involving around 2,000 participants.

Simon Harris, Tánaiste:

"We're going to start by March asking social media companies, and some of them are up for this, by the way, to take part in the rollout of age verification."

The move follows Australia's decision in late 2025 to introduce a minimum age of 16 for social media access, placing enforcement responsibility on platforms rather than parents. France has also advanced proposals to restrict access for under-15s, while the UK is consulting on similar restrictions.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the proposals. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Digital Rights Ireland have questioned the legal basis for requiring every adult and child over 15 to present government identification when accessing social media platforms.

Joe O'Brien, ICCL Executive Director:

"These reports suggest the Minister wants every adult and child in Ireland over the age of 15 to present a MyGovID whenever they want to post on social media. On what legal basis?"

Dr TJ McIntyre, Chair of Digital Rights Ireland, has warned that linking social media accounts to government databases would eliminate online anonymity entirely.

Several key details remain unclear. The Government has not yet published draft legislation outlining how an explicit under-16 ban would work in practice, which platforms would be covered initially, or whether "from March" refers to a pilot phase or broader implementation. It is also unclear how the Digital Wallet would handle under-16s, or whether a separate youth credential would be created.

Ireland is set to hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, with the Government planning to make online child safety a key theme during its tenure.

Coimisiún na Meán's Online Safety Framework also forms part of the broader regulatory landscape, particularly regarding platform obligations and child online safety standards.