🔗 Share this article

Australia's bold action to ban social platforms access for those under 16 is sparking debate around the globe. Politicians, campaigners, and families are monitoring intently to see if this strategy will become a template for countries abroad.

Across Europe Trend

Across Europe, a growing group of states are considering similar bans.

• Denmark plans a prohibition on social media for youth below 15, with the prime minister arguing that mobile devices and platforms are "robbing our children's innocence". A law could be passed in the coming year.
• The Norwegian government is set to enforce a minimum age limit of 15, pointing to the need to shield young people from the "influence of the algorithms".
• Ireland is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the age and identity of social media participants. The media minister have stated that an similar ban could be "one of the measures on the table".
• In Spain, the leader has called on the legislature to enact a bill lifting the access age for using social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has floated the idea of a ban for under-15s, and a legislative committee has suggested a comparable step, alongside an overnight "digital curfew" for older teenagers.
• The authorities in The Dutch government has recommended guardians to prevent their children from social media until 15.

At the EU level, the European parliament has approved a symbolic resolution calling for a ban for under-16s except if parental consent is granted. While it warns of the "addictive" quality of these platforms, the step does not establish mandatory rules.

"A clear age limit is a good starting point," said the European lawmaker driving the resolution.

The United Kingdom: A Cautious Approach

Across Britain, the leadership has not ruled out a possible ban, arguing that "no measure is being dismissed" but maintaining any action must be "based on robust research".

Earlier, momentum gathered behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by under-16s, but it was in the end weakened. Instead, the government committed to further research the matter.

Advocacy groups have expressed concerns. An organization set up by the loved ones of a teenager who took her own life after viewing disturbing social media material suggests that a strict age ban could fail to protect children and could lead to a "dangerous transition" of risk when users become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a answer to the failure of the Silicon Valley to create products and services that are secure and age appropriate for children," said a prominent peer.

The United States: A Decentralized Approach

Stateside, regulation is largely occurring at the local level against a backdrop of country-wide stalemate.

• Utah mandates guardian permission for minors to use social media and restricts nighttime use.
• Florida has enacted a bill barring under-14s from creating accounts on social media, though it faces constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has enacted a law limiting minors to one hour of social media time per day, with additional time dependent on parental permission.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise passed bills demanding guardian approval for teenagers to create social media profiles.

Even with bipartisan support and suggestions from certain individuals to copy Australia's example, a federal ban is presently seen as a distant prospect.

Worldwide Perspectives

Beyond the West, additional nations are likewise considering moves.

• The Malaysian government intends to ban social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
• Brazil has lifted the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

However, world bodies adopt a more nuanced stance. Unicef has cautioned that blanket prohibitions have downsides and "may even backfire". The agency points out that social networks can be a "vital connection" for marginalized young people and that regulation should not be a "substitute" for tech companies to improve user protection.

Even as this international debate evolves, the policies of Australia and its followers demonstrate that states globally are no longer content to delay for tech companies to make changes on their own.