🔗 Share this article

Australia's decisive move to restrict social networking access for young people below 16 is sparking debate around the globe. Officials, campaigners, and parents are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will set a precedent for countries abroad.

The European Momentum

In Europe, a increasing number of nations are exploring comparable restrictions.

• Denmark has stated a prohibition on social media for under-15s, with the PM stating that phones and apps are "robbing our kids' youth". Legislation is expected to be passed soon.
• Norway is preparing to implement a access barrier of 15, highlighting the need to protect children from the "power of the recommendation systems".
• Ireland is working on a digital ID system to verify the age and identity of social media account holders. Authorities have indicated that an Australia-style ban is "a potential measures under consideration".
• In The Spanish government, the leader has asked the legislature to pass a bill increasing the minimum age for joining social media to 16.
• In France, the head of state has proposed a ban for under-15s, and a parliamentary commission has recommended a related move, potentially involving an overnight "screen time restriction" for older teenagers.
• The government in the Netherlands has recommended families to prevent their kids from social media up to the age of 15.

Across the European Union, the bloc's legislature has adopted a symbolic motion calling for a ban for under-16s without a parent decides otherwise is provided. While it cautions of the "habit-forming" design of these services, the step does not establish enforceable legislation.

"A strong age barrier is a useful foundation," stated the MEP behind the measure.

The United Kingdom: A Watchful Stance

In the UK, the administration has remained open to a future ban, emphasizing that "nothing is discarded" but stressing any action must be "based on conclusive research".

Previously, momentum grew behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by under-16s, but it was eventually weakened. Nonetheless, the government vowed to investigate the topic.

Charities have raised warnings. An organization established by the loved ones of a young person who took her own life after viewing dangerous online content contends that a simple age ban could fail to improve online safety and could create a "sudden drop-off" of risk when young people become eligible.

"This ban is a response to the inability of the social media companies to design platforms and apps that are appropriate and fit for children," commented a prominent online safety campaigner.

The United States: A Fragmented Picture

In the United States, regulation is mostly happening at the state government level amid national stalemate.

• The state of Utah demands parental consent for under-18s to use social media and controls overnight use.
• Florida has signed a measure barring children under fourteen from joining social media, though it is entangled in legal challenges.
• Virginia has approved a law limiting teenagers to one hour of social media use per day, with extra time dependent on parental permission.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have similarly introduced measures requiring guardian approval for under-16s to open social media profiles.

Despite bipartisan support and suggestions from certain figures to follow the Australian path, a nationwide ban is right now seen as unlikely.

International Outlook

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

• Malaysia plans to prohibit social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
• Brazil has increased the required age for the platform Instagram to 16.

However, international organizations take a more nuanced position. Unicef has advised that social media bans pose dangers and "could prove counterproductive". The agency highlights that social networks can be a "critical link" for isolated young people and that regulation should not be a "excuse" for platform operators to improve safety.

While this global debate continues, the policies of this nation and others show that states around the world are less and less content to stand by for the industry to make changes on their own.