Mullvad.net reports that age-verification rules for social media have been enacted or proposed in Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Denmark, Portugal, Malaysia, France, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, and half of US states, with the European Commission launching an EU-wide app in April 2026. Primary sources including Australia's eSafety Commissioner enforcement data and EU Commission statements on the Digital Services Act confirm mandates require platforms to verify users under 16 or 18. These policies extend beyond child protection to mandate identity checks that eliminate anonymous access. Related coverage in Tech Policy Press tracks parallel laws in Canada, Slovenia, and the Netherlands that link verification to content moderation databases.