European Union (EU) policy makers are considering to introduce a new law which means that anyone under the age of 16 should have parental permission to access the Internet.
A decision on the law is expected to be taken by the end of this week.
The move could affect millions of teenagers, who would not be allowed to use the Internet for research, social media and browsing.
Currently, social media networks such as Facebook, Google, Instagram, and Twitter have a minimum age limit of 13 for those who want to register.
Any company found to have breaching the law could be fined around 4% of its annual turnover.
The Diana Award Youth Board, which intends to protect children from bullying, opposed the EU’s policy.
It said: "This higher age threshold may incentivise children between the ages of 13 and 15 to lie about their age.
"Children aged 13 and above have long accessed online services; an artificial and sudden change to this threshold will likely result in many children between the ages of 13 and 15 lying about their ages in order to continue accessing online services – rather than asking their parents to consent.
The board said the development could make it more difficult for online services to provide children age-appropriate guidance and tools to ensure a safe and privacy-protective experience online.
