Uruguay weighs social media age limits

Uruguay’s Chamber of Deputies is reviewing a bill that would ban children under 15 from creating or keeping personal social media accounts and would require platforms to verify users’ ages. The proposal, backed by Colorado lawmaker Felipe Schipani, comes alongside a national consultation opened by the chamber itself and overlaps with other regulatory debates, including online gambling and the use of artificial intelligence in mental health.

What does the social media bill propose?

The text sets 15 as the minimum age to create and maintain personal social media accounts and shifts responsibility to platforms to block access for users who do not meet that threshold. According to Montevideo Portal, the definition of a social network service is broad and covers platforms that allow profile creation, content posting, interaction, and algorithmic recommendations.

The same coverage says educational and health services are excluded, along with private messaging, digital libraries, scientific repositories, and platforms designed for children without behavioral advertising. El Megáfono added that the discussion includes verification methods tied to identity documents, photos, and biometric systems.

What requirements would it add for platforms?

According to Montevideo Portal, companies would have to apply age-verification mechanisms that are reasonable, proportional, effective, and auditable. The bill makes clear that it would not be enough to set a minimum age in terms of service or to rely on simple, unverified self-declarations.

Platforms would also have to publish semiannual reports with data on suspended accounts, error rates, and complaints received. The proposal is aimed at making compliance more transparent and ensuring that the burden of control does not fall only on families or users.

What penalties are on the table in Uruguay’s legislature?

The bill under review in Parliament would impose fines of up to 20,000 readjustment units and, in serious and repeated cases, allow for temporary suspension of the platform by court order, according to La República. That wording places the regulatory focus on service providers, not only on the behavior of minors.

The coverage also notes that the legislative process remains open and is part of a broader debate over social media use by children and teenagers. Subrayado reported that the Chamber of Deputies launched a nationwide consultation to legislate on that use.

What other digital bills are being discussed?

In parallel, the Uruguayan Chamber of Operators and Lessors of Casino and Entertainment Hall Services submitted an integrated proposal to the executive branch to regulate online gambling and strengthen tools against illegal platforms. SoloAzar reported that the proposal requires state authorization, limits operations to licensed providers, and expands the state’s oversight role.

The initiative includes blocking unauthorized platforms, creating a dedicated .bet.uy domain to identify legal operators, and a National User Registry to improve traceability in the regulated market. It also puts responsible gaming at the center of the framework.

What is happening with personal data and AI in mental health?

A recent international monitoring report said that, during the 180 days before August 2026, no specific legislative developments on personal data protection were confirmed in Uruguay beyond the existing framework of Law 18.331 and related rules. GDPRI also said the URCDP works alongside AGESIC as a decentralized supervisory body.

On artificial intelligence and mental health, the most concrete discussion has emerged at the departmental level. El Telégrafo de Paysandú reported that councilors introduced a proposal titled "Protección comunitaria ante los riesgos de la Inteligencia Artificial en salud mental," with response protocols, involvement of mental health teams, coordination with emergency services, community awareness efforts, and ongoing assessment of impacts on suicidal behavior. According to its authors, there was no bill or specific parliamentary debate on those effects in Uruguay’s legislature.