Proof of age, banned accounts, verified expert: Review of the new era of online control

What began as efforts to curb misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content has evolved into a new era of online control, one defined by proof of age, banned accounts, verified experts, and an expanding role for the state in regulating the internet.

From the United Kingdom to Australia, China, and Brazil, each country is exploring new ways of making the internet safer.

Here are four countries and the restrictions on internet access:

UK’s proof of age

Starting July 2025, the UK implemented a cybersecurity law that required children to prove their age to access the most harmful material on social media and adult websites.

Platforms that host content such as pornography, self-harm, or eating disorder promotion will be legally required to introduce secure age-verification systems, including facial scans, photo ID matching, or credit card checks.

Failure to comply could cost companies up to 10% of their global annual revenue or £18 million, whichever is higher. “This is one of the boldest steps anywhere in the world to reclaim the digital space for young people,” said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. He described the policy as a response to the mental health crisis among children exposed to “toxic algorithms” and harmful online material.

Australia’s ban of under-16s from social media

Under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, passed last November, anyone under 16 will soon be banned from creating accounts on major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Reddit, and Kick.

The policy decision is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and is designed to shield minors from addictive and harmful content, cyberbullying, and predatory behaviour. Communications Minister Anika Wells admitted the policy is imperfect but insisted it was necessary: “There is no perfect solution to keeping young Australians safe online. But the social media minimum age laws will make a meaningful difference.” Platforms will be legally required to enforce the ban using age-verification technology.

China’s only verified influencers regulation

In East Asia, China’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) now requires social media influencers to prove their professional credentials before posting about sensitive topics such as law, medicine, finance, or education. Under the new policy, creators must show a degree, license, or certification to speak on these subjects. Platforms like Douyin (China’s TikTok), Weibo, and Bilibili are required to verify credentials and flag posts containing AI-generated material or research references.

Persons who misrepresent qualifications could lose monetisation rights, face temporary bans, or be fined. The CAC says the move aims to curb misinformation and promote a “cleaner cyberspace,” part of President Xi Jinping’s wider campaign to ensure online content is “factual, educational, and socially responsible.”

Brazil’s cyber responsibility

A landmark Supreme Court ruling in June 2025 declared that social media companies must act immediately to remove hate speech and criminal content once they become aware of it.

Previously, companies could only be penalised if they failed to remove content after a court order. Now, platforms are directly responsible for what circulates on their networks.

“We preserve freedom of expression as much as possible,” wrote Supreme Court President Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, “without allowing the world to fall into an abyss of incivility,” he added. The ruling also urged Congress to revise Article 19 of the country’s main internet law, the Marco Civil da Internet, to strengthen protections against disinformation and online violence.