🔗 Share this article

The Australian decisive action to prohibit social platforms access for young people below 16 is creating waves around the globe. Lawmakers, campaigners, and families are monitoring with great interest to see if this strategy will become a template for the rest of the world.

The European Momentum

Across Europe, a growing chorus of countries are considering comparable bans.

• Denmark plans a restriction on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM stating that mobile devices and platforms are "taking away our youngsters' youth". A law could be enacted soon.
• Norway is set to implement a minimum age limit of 15, citing the need to safeguard the young from the "manipulative force of the recommendation systems".
• Ireland is working on a digital wallet to authenticate the identity and age of social media account holders. Authorities have indicated that an Australia-style ban could be "one of the measures on the table".
• In The Spanish government, the prime minister has urged parliament to pass a proposal increasing the legal age for using social media to 16.
• In France, the president has floated the idea of a ban for children below 15, and a parliamentary commission has suggested a related step, potentially involving an overnight "digital curfew" for adolescents.
• The authorities in the Netherlands has advised families to restrict their children from social media until 15.

At the EU level, the European parliament has approved a non-binding resolution demanding a ban for under-16s without parental consent is granted. Even though it cautions of the "habit-forming" design of these services, the move does not create enforceable legislation.

"A clear age limit is a useful first step," said a leading MEP behind the resolution.

The UK: A Cautious Approach

For the United Kingdom, the leadership has remained open to a possible ban, arguing that "no measure is off the table" but stressing any policy must be "grounded in conclusive data".

Earlier, support built behind a legislative effort to impose restrictions on social media use by minors, but it was in the end watered down. Instead, the administration pledged to investigate the issue.

Campaign organizations have raised apprehensions. A prominent charity set up by the family of a girl who was lost after viewing dangerous social media material argues that a simple age ban could fail to make platforms safer and could result in a "sudden drop-off" of risk when young people turn 16.

"The Australian ban is a response to the failure of the social media companies to build products and services that are secure and suitable for young users," commented a influential peer.

The United States: A Fragmented Approach

Across America, legislation is mostly unfolding at the local level against a backdrop of national inaction.

• Utah requires parental consent for minors to use social media and limits nighttime use.
• Florida has signed a law barring children under fourteen from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to court battles.
• Virginia has enacted a rule limiting minors to a single hour of social media time per day, with additional time needing a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and Louisiana have similarly introduced bills requiring parental consent for teenagers to open social media accounts.

Despite widespread concern and suggestions from some figures to mimic this lead, a US-wide ban is right now seen as a distant prospect.

Worldwide Perspectives

Outside of Europe and the US, other countries are similarly considering moves.

• Malaysia intends to prohibit social media for teenagers effective next year.
• Brazil has lifted the access age for one major platform to 16.

Yet, global agencies take a more measured stance. A major UN agency has advised that blanket prohibitions carry risks and "could prove counterproductive". The organization highlights that the internet can be a "lifeline" for vulnerable young people and that regulation should not be a "excuse" for platform operators to improve child safeguards.

As this international conversation continues, the actions of Australia and several other countries show that states globally are less and less content to wait for platforms to self-regulate.