🔗 Share this article

Australia's controversial move to ban social media access for young people below 16 is creating waves around the globe. Lawmakers, campaigners, and families are observing closely to see if this approach will set a precedent for other nations.

Across Europe Trend

Across Europe, a growing number of states are exploring parallel bans.

• Denmark plans a ban on social media for youth below 15, with the PM declaring that phones and networks are "robbing our kids' innocence". A law may be enacted next year.
• The Norwegian government is preparing to enforce a age restriction of 15, highlighting the need to protect the young from the "manipulative force of the recommendation systems".
• The Irish government is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the user details of social media participants. Officials have stated that an similar ban could be "an measures on the table".
• In Spain, the leader has called on the legislature to enact a proposal raising the minimum age for joining social media to 16.
• In France, the president has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has recommended a comparable step, potentially involving an overnight "internet blackout" for older teenagers.
• The administration in The Netherlands has advised parents to block their children from social media up to the age of 15.

Across the European Union, the bloc's legislature has approved a non-binding statement demanding a ban for under-16s except if a parent decides otherwise is provided. Although it warns of the "habit-forming" design of these platforms, the step does not create enforceable legislation.

"A clear age restriction is a good starting point," said one parliamentarian behind the initiative.

The UK: An Evidence-Based Eye

Across Britain, the administration has not ruled out a potential ban, emphasizing that "no measure is off the table" but maintaining any action must be "supported by conclusive research".

Previously, momentum built behind a bill to enact controls on social media use by minors, but it was in the end modified. Instead, the administration committed to conduct more studies the topic.

Advocacy groups have voiced apprehensions. An organization established by the relatives of a girl who took her own life after viewing harmful online content contends that a blanket age ban may not make platforms safer and could lead to a "cliff edge" of harm when young people turn 16.

"The Australian ban is a reaction to the failure of the tech sector to build tools that are appropriate and suitable for minors," said a leading online safety campaigner.

The US: A Fragmented Landscape

Stateside, regulation is primarily unfolding at the regional level amid national inaction.

• Utah requires parental consent for those under 18 to use social media and restricts overnight use.
• Florida has signed a measure barring under-14s from creating accounts on social media, though it is entangled in constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has enacted a rule limiting teenagers to a single hour of social media time per day, with any further use requiring adult consent.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have likewise introduced bills requiring adult authorization for minors to open social media accounts.

Even with widespread concern and proposals from some figures to copy Australia's example, a US-wide ban is currently seen as improbable.

International Views

Beyond these regions, other nations are likewise exploring options.

• The Malaysian government plans to ban social media for those under sixteen effective next year.
• Brazil has lifted the access age for the platform Instagram to 16.

Yet, world organizations take a more measured stance. A major UN agency has cautioned that age-based restrictions carry risks and "could have unintended consequences". The organization highlights that the internet can be a "lifeline" for isolated children and that regulation should not be a "substitute" for tech companies to invest in user protection.

As this international discussion continues, the steps of this nation and several other countries indicate that policymakers globally are less and less willing to wait for platforms to make changes on their own.