The findings also show strong support for regulation, with 83.4% backing restrictions on children’s access to social media.

The survey results were presented in Lagos during a roundtable on child online safety, organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

With 585 Nigerians taking part in the consultation, the survey examined risks, enforcement options and possible legal frameworks.

Among the group of respondents, 64.8% want outright regulation, while 18.6% prefer regulation tied to a different minimum age threshold.

Only 16.6% opposed regulation, while 51% said education and digital literacy should be prioritised instead, and 40% pointed to parental supervision tools as a better precaution.

Age preference also split responses, with 36.8% saying 16 years should be the minimum age for access, closely aligning with Australia’s recent approach. Another 27.7% preferred 17 years. A smaller share, 13%, supported the global platform standard for 13 years.

Harmful content emerged as the most reported risk, cited by 90.9% of respondents. Digital addiction followed at 83.6%, while 82.4% pointed to online grooming as a major threat.

The survey also found that 74.5% believe children and parents do not fully understand the legal consequences of cyber offences. Almost all respondents, 97.6%, supported a duty-of-care approach requiring platforms to take proactive steps against harm.

Communications Minister Bosun Tijani said the consultation reveals the pace of change in the digital space and the need for policy to keep up.

He said, “The debate should focus on implementing age restrictions effectively rather than questioning the need for such safeguards.

“Nigeria can deploy digital identity infrastructure and existing platform verification systems to strengthen enforcement of age-based social media regulations.

“The fact that some people may bypass regulations is not a reason for safeguards not to exist.”

Tijani added that social media still offers opportunities for learning and innovation, but children must remain protected from exploitation, harmful content and other risks.

He also said enforcement would require cooperation across government, parents, schools and technology platforms.

NDPC National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, also spoke about the risks facing children online. He pointed to cyberbullying, cyberstalking, exposure to harmful content and mental health pressures as key issues.

He also mentioned that access to the internet is highly important for education and development, but protection measures must sit alongside that access. Olatunji described child online safety as a shared responsibility across government agencies, families, schools and platform operators.

The discussion encapsulates a global shift in children’s access to social media. Several countries have already introduced, or are moving towards, better age-based management.

Australia introduced a ban on social media access for children under 16 in December 2025, requiring platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to restrict underage users. Indonesia has also announced plans for a similar restriction.

In Europe, Denmark is preparing to ban social media for children under 15. The Danish government secured backing from both coalition and opposition parties in November 2025. France passed a bill in January 2026 banning social media use for children under 15, with President Emmanuel Macron supporting the measure.

These developments show a policy trend where governments treat child online safety as a public concern that extends beyond regulation of content alone. In several cases, it now sits alongside debates on health, education and digital identity systems.

In Nigeria, the proposed direction indicates a combination of age restrictions and verification systems rather than a single enforcement model. Officials have pointed to digital identity infrastructure and platform-level verification tools as possible mechanisms.

The survey indicates strong public appetite for intervention, especially given the level of concern about exposure to harmful content, addiction and grooming risks. At the same time, a smaller but notable group continues to argue for education and parental oversight rather than formal restrictions.

The government says no final decision has been made, insisting that any policy will follow nationwide consultation before implementation.

The change started on February 24, 2026, as the company also expanded its age-verification tools for developers in Brazil and in two U.S. states, Utah and Louisiana.

The update affects how age categories are shared between users and app developers. Apple said it is rolling out new features through its Declared Age Range API, which is now available in beta.

The tool allows developers to request a user’s age category without accessing personal data such as a date of birth.

In Brazil, developers can use the updated API to obtain a user’s age category. The age category will only be shared if the user, or a parent or guardian where relevant, agrees, while API will also return a signal from the user’s device about the method of age assurance.

Apple confirmed that, from February 24, 2026, it will block downloads of apps rated 18+ in Australia, Brazil and Singapore unless users are confirmed to be adults through reasonable methods.

The App Store will carry out that confirmation automatically. However, Apple noted that developers may still have separate legal duties to verify users under local law.

In Brazil, developers who identify their apps as containing loot boxes through Apple’s age rating questionnaire will see their app ratings updated to 18+ on the Brazil storefront. Lawmakers in the country have spoken about gambling-like features in games.

In the United States, new regulations will take effect in two states. For users with new Apple accounts in Utah from 6 May 2026, and in Louisiana from 1 July 2026, age categories will be shared with developers’ apps when requested through the Declared Age Range API.

Apple said it has expanded its existing tools to help developers meet legal requirements in both states.

These tools include the Declared Age Range API, the Significant Change API under PermissionKit, a new age rating property type in StoreKit, and App Store Server Notifications.

Apple said: “New signals are now available through the Declared Age Range API, including whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user is required to share their age range.

“The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child.”

Developers can use the API to present important update notifications to adults in Utah and Louisiana through what Apple calls the Significant Update Action, which remains in beta.

When releasing a significant update, developers must follow Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and provide a clear description of the changes.

Apple previously worked to meet similar age-assurance requirements in Texas in October last year. It later paused parts of that plan in December after the state law faced a court challenge.

Governments in several countries have introduced stricter age-assurance rules aimed at limiting minors’ access to certain digital services. Apple’s latest changes adjust how its platforms, including iOS, iPadOS and macOS, handle age ratings, permissions and account signals in response to those laws.

For developers, the changes mean closer attention to local regulations. In Brazil, game makers that include loot boxes must now accept an automatic 18+ rating.

In Australia, Brazil and Singapore, 18+ apps will not download until adult status is confirmed. In Utah and Louisiana, age categories will flow directly to apps when requested, provided the user meets the new account conditions.

Apple said the updated tools are designed to give developers a way to meet legal obligations without collecting sensitive personal information.

The interim order, issued on Wednesday by the Italian antitrust agency (AGCM), targets clauses that regulators say risk locking competitors out of WhatsApp. 

This is meant to prevent harm while the investigation runs its course, not to prejudge the outcome. Still, it lands heavily on Meta at a time when Europe is stepping up its monitoring of Big Tech companies, keeping a close eye on their policies and market influence.

AGCM first opened the case in July, focusing on how Meta integrated its own AI assistant into WhatsApp. In November, investigators widened the scope to include updated terms tied to WhatsApp’s business platform. 

By December 24, the watchdog concluded that immediate action was needed. Its concern is that Meta’s behaviour could limit output, choke access to the market, and slow technical progress in AI chatbot services, with knock-on effects for users.

“These contractual conditions completely exclude Meta AI’s competitors in the AI chatbot services market from the WhatsApp platform,” the regulator said. 

Given WhatsApp’s scale, that is important. With more than two billion users worldwide, exclusion from the platform can decide which tools survive and which never get traction.

A Meta spokesperson described the decision as “fundamentally flawed,” adding that the rise of AI chatbots “put a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support”. The company’s line is that opening WhatsApp more widely to third-party AI would risk stability and performance.

This is not just an Italian fight. The European Commission launched its own parallel investigation earlier this month, examining whether Meta’s policies breach EU competition rules across the bloc. 

If regulators ultimately find wrongdoing, penalties could reach up to 10% of Meta’s global annual turnover, a figure that runs into tens of billions.

The case fits the European pattern. Brussels and national authorities have taken tough action against Apple over App Store rules, Google over advertising technology, and Amazon over marketplace practices. 

The approach contrasts with the United States, where enforcement has been looser, drawing complaints from the administration of President Donald Trump that Europe is singling out American firms.

Italy’s watchdog says it is working closely with the European Commission to address Meta’s conduct “in the most effective manner”.