France will impose social media restrictions on those under the age of 15 starting September 1st, making it the first European country to implement such measures. Restrictions at the EU level are also underway, with several countries drafting their own plans, and brands and platforms assessing the resulting changes in advertising and traffic.
France took the lead, and many EU countries followed suit.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed support for implementing Europe-wide restrictions. In addition to France, 10 EU countries, including Greece, Sweden, Portugal, and Spain, are also developing their own social media restriction plans.
This policy will primarily impact industries that rely on social media platforms to reach teenagers. GWI data shows that among 12- to 15-year-olds in the UK, 54% discover new products they want to buy through social media, and 24% have watched unboxing or product review videos in the past week.
Advertising budgets shift to streaming and gaming
As reach to minors shrinks, brands are considering reallocating their marketing budgets. Industry insiders predict that streaming media may be the primary beneficiary, while gaming, retail media, offline experiences, membership programs, and family marketing will also receive increased budgets.
Dove executives stated that platforms may change, but the audience will not disappear. The brand has begun testing channels such as Substack and WhatsApp. Meanwhile, there is also discussion in the market about whether some marketing campaigns targeting young people will shift to messaging apps.
However, legal professionals in the industry caution that existing rules such as the UK's GDPR, the Child Data Protection Regulation (DDG), and PECR still impose restrictions on the use of minors' data, and messaging apps are not a channel to circumvent regulations.
AI-powered product recommendations may see further growth.
Some industry insiders believe that as the social advertising market cools down, AI assistants may more quickly replace social news feeds and become a new entry point for consumers to discover products. In the future, users may be more inclined to directly ask chatbots for purchase advice rather than constantly scrolling through platform content.
Capgemini research shows that 58% of consumers already use generative AI tools as their primary entry point for product and service recommendations, replacing traditional search engines. If Europe continues to tighten related restrictions, brands' traffic acquisition methods may shift to AI-driven interfaces even faster.
The platform questions the effectiveness of the comprehensive ban.
Ronan Harris, president of Snap Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, said that the legal details are still unclear, and there is considerable uncertainty about which platforms will be included in the restrictions and how they will be enforced. He is concerned that minors may turn to less regulated online spaces as a result.
Those supporting the ban argue that social media platforms' long-standing failure to make their products safer has led to a continued rise in mental health risks for children. Harris acknowledges the goal of protecting minors but believes a blanket ban may not solve this complex problem.
