Portugal weighs TikTok and Instagram ban for under-16s, awaiting EU decision

Portuguese parents scrolling their phones over coffee this week have one question in common: will the government actually block their teenagers from Instagram and TikTok? Officials in Lisbon say they are open to that possibility, yet only if Brussels moves first. The conversation is gathering speed because European lawmakers have pressed for uniform limits after alarming health data and a wave of petitions forced the issue into the spotlight.

Why the debate surfaces now

For many families the pandemic-era boom in screen-time never receded, and researchers now tie that surge to rising anxiety, sleep disruption, cyber-bullying, body-image pressure, addictive design, dopamine loops, academic decline, self-harm content, deep-fake harassment and commercial data harvesting. A 2023 Portuguese survey showing 86% dependence among youngsters, well above the European average, became a rallying point. That momentum carried into parliament when a grassroots petition with more than 12 000 signatures demanded a full ban below 16 years, echoing proposals in Australia and the United States.

Europe-wide puzzle and Portugal's stance

While Lisbon can legislate on its own, the executive led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stresses that the internet ignores borders. The Youth Minister, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, said any national ban must dovetail with the Digital Services Act, EU age-verification tools, cross-border enforcement, algorithm audits, privacy safeguards, parental dashboards, uniform minimum ages, identity wallets and penalties for violators. Brussels, for its part, just adopted a non-binding resolution urging a 16-year digital threshold and absolute prohibition for those under 13 unless schools or parents approve supervised use. Commission officials are assessing whether to convert that guidance into a formal directive that every member state, including Portugal, would transpose into law.

Mental health evidence ringing alarms

Clinicians at Lisbon’s Hospital de Santa Maria report a steady uptick in teenagers who arrive with panic attacks after bingeing doom-scroll content through the night. National data indicate that 2 in 5 adolescents link social media with deteriorating mental health, and almost 1 in 3 show depressive symptoms. Psychologists emphasise the role of influencer marketing, unrealistic beauty filters, endless scroll, push notifications, viral challenges, peer comparison, FOMO, sleep deprivation and targeted ads. Alarmingly, 90% of Portuguese youths say they created their first account at 13 or younger, eroding the credibility of current self-declaration age gates.

What could change on Portuguese phones

If EU legislation lands in 2026, Lisbon is expected to translate it into national rules that force platforms to activate robust ID checks, set accounts for minors to private by default, disable autoplay video, block profiling ads, reduce recommendation loops, add prominent well-being timers, issue in-app alerts to parents, and impose large fines on companies that fail to delete underage users. The telecom regulator ANACOM, already the country’s Digital Services Coordinator, would verify compliance with help from ERC for media oversight and IGAC for cultural content.

Industry reaction and timeline uncertainties

Meta, X and TikTok lobbyists in Brussels warn that mandatory ID uploads could push young users into unregulated corners of the web, while Portuguese start-ups fear a patchwork of rules before EU harmonisation. Civil-society groups supporting child safety counter that voluntary pledges have been tried and failed. Even if the Commission tables a draft directive early next year, member states and the European Parliament would still debate wording on parental consent, age limits, data retention, appeals mechanisms, technical standards, cross-platform interoperability, sanction scales and judicial review. In practical terms, adolescents in Coimbra or Porto may not notice any immediate restriction during the current school year, but pressure is building fast. The underlying question — how much autonomy a 14-year-old should wield in the algorithm economy — is no longer theoretical in Portugal; it is closing in on legislative reality.