🔗 Share this article

Australia's controversial move to restrict social platforms access for young people below 16 is sparking debate worldwide. Politicians, safety advocates, and families are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will become a template for the rest of the world.

Across Europe Movement

In Europe, a rising group of states are exploring parallel measures.

• Denmark plans a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM stating that smartphones and platforms are "taking away our children's youth". The policy is expected to be passed soon.
• Norway is planning to enforce a minimum age limit of 15, pointing to the need to shield young people from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• Ireland is working on a online verification tool to verify the user details of social media users. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban could be "an options in reserve".
• In Spain, the president has called on parliament to approve a bill raising the legal age for accessing social media to 16.
• In France, the president has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has suggested a comparable action, potentially involving an overnight "digital curfew" for adolescents.
• The administration in The Netherlands has urged guardians to block their children from social media before 15.

For the broader EU, the bloc's legislature has approved a symbolic statement calling for a ban for minors except if guardian approval is given. Although it warns of the "addictive" design of these platforms, the step does not enact mandatory rules.

"A clear age barrier is a good foundation," said the European lawmaker behind the initiative.

Britain: A Watchful Stance

Across Britain, the government has not ruled out a possible ban, stating that "no option is being dismissed" but maintaining any decision must be "based on robust data".

Last year, support built behind a proposal to impose limits on social media use by under-16s, but it was ultimately modified. Nonetheless, the administration pledged to further research the issue.

Advocacy groups have expressed apprehensions. An organization set up by the relatives of a teenager who was lost after being exposed to disturbing platform posts contends that a strict age ban may not make platforms safer and could create a "dangerous transition" of risk when teens reach the legal age.

"The Australian ban is a response to the refusal of the social media companies to build products and services that are appropriate and fit for minors," commented a influential peer.

America: A State-by-State Landscape

Stateside, action is largely happening at the state level against a backdrop of national inaction.

• Utah mandates guardian permission for those under 18 to use social media and restricts overnight use.
• The state of Florida has enacted a law barring those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to legal challenges.
• The state of Virginia has enacted a rule capping minors to 60 minutes of social media access per day, with additional time needing parental permission.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have similarly introduced measures demanding parental consent for under-16s to open social media presences.

Despite bipartisan support and suggestions from various politicians to follow the Australian lead, a nationwide ban is right now seen as improbable.

Worldwide Perspectives

Apart from Europe and the US, other nations are also taking action.

• Malaysia intends to restrict social media for teenagers beginning next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has increased the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

But, global organizations adopt a more nuanced tone. The UN children's agency has advised that social media bans carry risks and "may even have unintended consequences". The organization notes that social networks can be a "lifeline" for vulnerable young people and that bans should not be a "excuse" for platform operators to invest in safety.

Even as this worldwide debate continues, the policies of this nation and several other countries indicate that policymakers globally are less and less content to wait for platforms to make changes on their own.