🔗 Share this article

The Australian bold policy to prohibit social media access for those under 16 is sending ripples internationally. Officials, child protection groups, and families are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will become a template for countries abroad.

The European Movement

In Europe, a rising number of countries are exploring similar bans.

• The Danish government has announced a prohibition on social media for under-15s, with the prime minister arguing that phones and networks are "stealing our youngsters' youth". A law is expected to be passed soon.
• Norway is planning to introduce a minimum age limit of 15, highlighting the need to shield children from the "power of the algorithms".
• Ireland is working on a online verification tool to authenticate the identity and age of social media participants. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban is "a potential tools under consideration".
• In The Spanish government, the president has asked the legislature to approve a proposal raising the access age for joining social media to 16.
• In The French government, the leader has proposed a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has suggested a related step, potentially involving an overnight "screen time restriction" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The administration in The Netherlands has recommended parents to block their children from social media until 15.

Across the European Union, the bloc's legislature has approved a symbolic statement calling for a ban for teenagers under 16 unless a parent decides otherwise is granted. While it cautions of the "compulsive" nature of these services, the resolution does not create mandatory rules.

"A clear age restriction is a useful starting point," commented a leading MEP driving the initiative.

The UK: A Cautious Approach

Across Britain, the leadership has not ruled out a future ban, emphasizing that "nothing is being dismissed" but insisting any decision must be "based on robust data".

Last year, interest grew behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by under-16s, but it was eventually watered down. Nonetheless, the government committed to conduct more studies the issue.

Campaign organizations have expressed warnings. A prominent charity founded by the family of a young person who was lost after being exposed to harmful platform posts suggests that a simple age ban might not make platforms safer and could result in a "dangerous transition" of risk when users reach the legal age.

"Australia's ban is a reaction to the refusal of the Silicon Valley to create platforms and apps that are safe and fit for children," stated a prominent online safety campaigner.

The US: A Fragmented Picture

In the United States, action is primarily occurring at the state level against a backdrop of federal stalemate.

• Utah demands parental consent for those under 18 to use social media and controls overnight use.
• The state of Florida has passed a bill prohibiting those below 14 from accessing social media, though it is entangled in constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has passed a regulation capping minors to one hour of social media use per day, with any further time requiring a guardian's okay.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have likewise enacted bills demanding guardian approval for minors to open social media accounts.

Even with bipartisan support and suggestions from certain individuals to follow this example, a nationwide ban is right now seen as unlikely.

Global Views

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

• The Malaysian government aims to restrict social media for under-16s starting from next year.
• Brazil has raised the minimum age for Instagram to 16.

Yet, world organizations adopt a more nuanced position. Unicef has warned that age-based restrictions pose dangers and "might have unintended consequences". The agency points out that social networks can be a "vital connection" for vulnerable young people and that bans should not be a "excuse" for social media firms to improve child safeguards.

While this international conversation continues, the steps of the Australian government and several other countries indicate that states globally are increasingly content to stand by for the industry to act voluntarily.