🔗 Share this article

Australia's decisive policy to restrict social networking access for those under 16 is sending ripples around the globe. Lawmakers, safety advocates, and parents are monitoring closely to see if this tactic will become a template for the rest of the world.

The European Momentum

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

• The Danish government plans a restriction on social media for children under fifteen, with the prime minister arguing that smartphones and apps are "taking away our kids' innocence". The policy may be passed soon.
• Norway is set to introduce a minimum age limit of 15, citing the need to safeguard the young from the "power of the recommendation systems".
• The Irish government is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the user details of social media users. The media minister have suggested that an Australian-model ban is "an options in reserve".
• In Spain, the president has urged lawmakers to pass a law increasing the minimum age for joining social media to 16.
• In France, the head of state has proposed a ban for children below 15, and a parliamentary commission has suggested a related step, alongside an overnight "digital curfew" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The government in The Dutch government has advised guardians to block their youngsters from social media before 15.

At the EU level, the bloc's legislature has approved a symbolic statement supporting a ban for minors except if guardian approval is provided. Although it cautions of the "habit-forming" quality of these platforms, the step does not create enforceable legislation.

"An effective age restriction is a useful starting point," stated the MEP driving the measure.

The UK: A Cautious Approach

For the United Kingdom, the administration has remained open to a potential ban, emphasizing that "no measure is discarded" but insisting any policy must be "grounded in robust research".

Last year, momentum grew behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by teenagers, but it was in the end watered down. Nonetheless, the government pledged to investigate the matter.

Charities have raised warnings. A prominent charity founded by the relatives of a young person who was lost after encountering dangerous social media material suggests that a strict age ban may not improve online safety and could lead to a "cliff edge" of exposure when users become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a response to the failure of the Silicon Valley to create tools that are appropriate and age appropriate for young users," said a leading child protection advocate.

The US: A State-by-State Landscape

In the United States, regulation is primarily unfolding at the local government level due to national gridlock.

• Utah requires adult approval for those under 18 to use social media and controls late-night use.
• Florida has passed a bill banning those below 14 from accessing social media, though it faces constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has approved a rule limiting teenagers to a single hour of social media use per day, with any further time dependent on a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise enacted measures mandating adult authorization for under-16s to open social media accounts.

Despite cross-party agreement and calls from some figures to copy this path, a nationwide ban is currently seen as unlikely.

Worldwide Outlook

Apart from the West, additional countries are likewise taking action.

• The Malaysian government aims to prohibit social media for under-16s effective next year.
• Brazil has lifted the access age for one major platform to 16.

Yet, global bodies adopt a more measured stance. The UN children's agency has cautioned that blanket prohibitions carry risks and "might prove counterproductive". The body points out that social networks can be a "vital connection" for marginalized children and that bans should not be a "substitute" for platform operators to invest in child safeguards.

As this global conversation evolves, the policies of the Australian government and its followers indicate that policymakers globally are less and less prepared to delay for the industry to act voluntarily.