The terms state that users in EU countries, the UK, and Australia must be a minimum of 18 years of age to create a Telegram account, establishing a regional age restriction above the general standard.
This analysis describes what Telegram's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes a jurisdiction-specific age gating requirement for EU, UK, and Australian users that goes beyond many platform age minimums, which are typically set at 13 or 16, and engages regulatory frameworks related to minor protection and age verification in those jurisdictions.
Interpretive note: The document does not describe the technical age verification mechanisms used to enforce this restriction, making it uncertain whether the policy satisfies applicable statutory age verification obligations in the UK and EU.
Provision text remains identical; counted in unchanged provisions.
View full change record →Under this clause, users in the EU, UK, and Australia who are under 18 are prohibited from signing up for Telegram, and accounts found to be held by underage users in those jurisdictions are subject to the platform's enforcement mechanisms.
How other platforms handle this
Depending on where you are located, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal information, the right to data portability, and the right to object to or withdraw consent for certain processi...
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, or port your data. EU and UK users may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing. California residents may have the right to know, delete, corre...
Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that anyone younger than 13 has unlawfully provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@medium.com.
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"Users in EU countries, the United Kingdom and Australia must be at least 18 years old to sign up.— Excerpt from Telegram's Telegram Terms of Service
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages the EU's Digital Services Act age-appropriate design requirements, the UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) issued by the ICO, and the Australian Online Safety Act. GDPR Article 8 sets digital consent age at 16 (or 13-16 depending on member state implementation), making the 18-year threshold in this provision more restrictive than the GDPR minimum. Compliance with the UK Children's Code requires technical age verification measures, not solely contractual age assertions. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The contractual assertion of an 18+ age requirement does not, by itself, satisfy the technical age verification obligations imposed by the UK Children's Code or emerging EU requirements. Regulatory enforcement in this area is active, particularly by the UK ICO. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: The UK and EU represent the highest regulatory exposure for age verification requirements. Australia's Online Safety Act imposes obligations on platforms regarding age-restricted content and minor access. The absence of a described technical verification mechanism in this document creates a potential gap between the stated policy and regulatory compliance requirements. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations operating within Telegram's ecosystem in EU, UK, or Australian markets should assess whether their deployment of Telegram as a communication channel creates any compliance obligations regarding minor access. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should review whether Telegram's technical age verification mechanisms (not described in this document) satisfy applicable statutory obligations under the UK Children's Code and EU Digital Services Act. The Privacy Policy referenced in the ToS should be reviewed for further detail on data practices related to age and minors.
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This provision establishes a jurisdiction-specific age gating requirement for EU, UK, and Australian users that goes beyond many platform age minimums, which are typically set at 13 or 16, and engages regulatory frameworks related to minor protection and age verification in those jurisdictions.
Under this clause, users in the EU, UK, and Australia who are under 18 are prohibited from signing up for Telegram, and accounts found to be held by underage users in those jurisdictions are subject to the platform's enforcement mechanisms.
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