By Barbara Erling
WARSAW, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The largest party in Poland's coalition government is preparing legislation that would bar children under 15 from using social media, opening the door to a potential clash with major U.S. tech firms.
Education Minister Barbara Nowacka on Friday outlined plans to fine social media companies up to 6% of their turnover if their services remain accessible to under‑15s and would require platforms to verify users' ages.
"We need to limit access to social media
for children under 15. At the same time, we need to work on mental health and raise awareness among children, parents, and the entire Polish society about the dangers of social media," Nowacka told a press conference.
Nowacka had described the plan in an interview with Bloomberg News published earlier on Friday, adding that the law could take effect by early 2027. It was not clear if the rest of the ruling coalition would support it, however.
The initiative could put Warsaw at odds with U.S. tech firms such as Meta, and Elon Musk's X, some of which have pushed back against restrictions following Australia's ban last year.
"We're not looking at Big Tech's passport. We're looking at the safety of Polish children, and it's absolutely obvious that no one has the right to pose a threat to the future, development, and safety of children and young people," Nowacka told Reuters.
The British government said in January it was considering restrictions to protect children online, after Australia implemented similar laws in December.
Several other European governments including Denmark, Greece, France and Spain have explored similar restrictions amid claims that social-media services are harmful or addictive for minors.
(Reporting by Barbara Erling in Warsaw, Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru: editing by Neil Fullick and Philippa Fletcher)
