Portugal’s parliament has approved the first reading of a bill aimed at tightening enforcement of age restrictions on social media platforms. The proposal requires verified parental consent for minors aged 13 to 16 using the country’s Digital Mobile Key system, while reinforcing an existing ban on users under 13.
The bill is not yet final law and must pass additional legislative stages before formal adoption. It also introduces potential fines of up to 2% of global annual revenue for companies that fail to comply with the verification requirements.
TL;DR
- Bill passed in first reading, further approval pending.
- Under-13 social media ban to be enforced via Digital Mobile Key.
- Parental consent mandatory for users aged 13 to 16.
- Non-compliance could trigger fines up to 2% of global revenue.
Under current Portuguese legislation, children under the age of 13 are already prohibited from accessing social media platforms. However, enforcement has largely depended on self-declared birth dates entered during account creation, a system widely viewed as ineffective.
The newly approved proposal seeks to address that gap by requiring platforms to integrate Portugal’s Digital Mobile Key, known locally as Chave Móvel Digital, into their onboarding and verification processes. The Digital Mobile Key allows citizens to authenticate their identity online using government-issued credentials linked to a mobile number or official identification document.
If the bill becomes law, platforms operating in Portugal would need to use this system to verify a user’s age during registration. This mechanism would formally enforce the existing prohibition on under-13 access to social media services.
For minors aged 13 to 16, access would not be automatic. Instead, explicit parental consent would be required, and that consent would also need to be authenticated through the Digital Mobile Key system, ensuring that a verified legal guardian authorizes the creation or continued use of a social media account.
The framework introduces a two-tier compliance structure, a strict ban for children under 13 and conditional access for teenagers between 13 and 16. Lawmakers backing the measure argue that stronger verification is necessary to ensure that existing child protection standards are effectively applied in digital environments.
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The bill also includes financial penalties for non-compliance. Companies that fail to implement the required age verification and parental consent systems could face fines of up to 2% of their global annual revenue, a provision designed to introduce meaningful enforcement.
Supporters say leveraging an existing national digital identity infrastructure provides a more reliable enforcement tool than self-reported age fields. They contend that the measure strengthens implementation of current rules rather than introducing a new outright prohibition.
At this stage, the measure represents parliamentary approval in principle rather than final enactment. Lawmakers may introduce amendments before the bill completes the legislative process, and implementation timelines would only be clarified once the law is formally adopted.
If ultimately passed, Portugal would move toward a more structured digital age verification regime, tying social media access for minors directly to a government-backed authentication system.
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