Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'The FTC enforces COPPA for US users under 13 and has authority over deceptive or inadequate age-gating practices under FTC Act Section 5.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Age Restriction for EU, UK, and Australia clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Age Restriction for EU, UK, and Australia — Telegram

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What it is

If you are in the EU, UK, or Australia and under 18, you are not allowed to create a Telegram account.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Minors in the EU, UK, and Australia who use Telegram in violation of this provision have no contractual protections under these Terms and their accounts may be terminated without notice or compensation.

Cross-platform context

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

The minimum age of 18 in these jurisdictions is higher than the GDPR's default of 16 (or 13 in some member states), meaning Telegram applies a stricter standard, but enforcement depends entirely on user self-declaration.

View original clause language

Users in EU countries, the United Kingdom and Australia must be at least 18 years old to sign up.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages GDPR Article 8 (conditions applicable to child's consent — default 16, member states may lower to 13), UK GDPR Article 8 and the UK ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code, effective 2021), and Australia's Online Safety Act 2021. The EU's proposed child safety provisions under the Digital Services Act (DSA) Article 28 on protection of minors also apply. COPPA (16 CFR Part 312) sets a 13-year threshold in the US, which Telegram does not replicate, creating jurisdictional inconsistency. Enforced by EU national DPAs, UK ICO, and Australian eSafety Commissioner. (2)

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Applicable agencies

FTC

The FTC enforces COPPA for US users under 13 and has authority over deceptive or inadequate age-gating practices under FTC Act Section 5.
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Provision details

Document information

Document

Telegram Terms of Service

Entity

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002902

Document ID

CA-D-00173

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://telegram.org/tos

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

d98859f1657cfb28ba990edd809f3245d45cf76486554b4eada7ff4459be5436

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Telegram | Document: Telegram Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-002902
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:40:57 UTC | SHA-256: d98859f1657cfb28…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/telegram/telegram-terms-of-service/age-restriction-for-eu-uk-and-australia/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Age Restriction for EU, UK, and Australia