🔗 Share this article

The Australian decisive policy to prohibit social networking access for individuals under sixteen is sending ripples internationally. Lawmakers, child protection groups, and guardians are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will become a template for countries abroad.

The European Momentum

Throughout Europe, a growing number of nations are considering comparable restrictions.

• Denmark plans a restriction on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM arguing that phones and platforms are "taking away our kids' youth". The policy is expected to be passed soon.
• Norway is set to enforce a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to protect the young from the "power of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the identity and age of social media users. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban remains "a potential measures in reserve".
• In The Spanish government, the prime minister has urged the legislature to pass a proposal lifting the access age for using social media to 16.
• In France, the president has threatened a ban for under-15s, and a parliamentary commission has recommended a related step, potentially involving an overnight "internet blackout" for adolescents.
• The administration in The Dutch government has advised parents to restrict their kids from social media before 15.

Across the European Union, the European parliament has adopted a non-binding motion demanding a ban for minors except if parental consent is granted. Even though it cautions of the "compulsive" design of these services, the move does not enact mandatory rules.

"A strong age barrier is a solid foundation," commented the MEP driving the resolution.

The United Kingdom: A Watchful Approach

In the UK, the leadership has not ruled out a potential ban, stating that "no measure is discarded" but maintaining any decision must be "based on robust data".

Previously, momentum gathered behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by minors, but it was eventually modified. Nonetheless, the administration committed to further research the issue.

Campaign organizations have voiced warnings. A prominent charity set up by the loved ones of a girl who was lost after viewing dangerous platform posts contends that a strict age ban could fail to make platforms safer and could result in a "cliff edge" of risk when users reach the legal age.

"This ban is a response to the failure of the Silicon Valley to build tools that are safe and suitable for children," commented a prominent online safety campaigner.

The United States: A Fragmented Picture

Across America, action is primarily unfolding at the regional level amid country-wide gridlock.

• The state of Utah requires guardian permission for under-18s to use social media and restricts overnight use.
• Florida has signed a law barring children under fourteen from accessing social media, though it is subject to court battles.
• The state of Virginia has approved a rule restricting under-16s to 60 minutes of social media time per day, with extra access needing adult consent.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise introduced measures mandating guardian approval for teenagers to set up social media accounts.

Even with bipartisan support and proposals from certain politicians to follow Australia's example, a US-wide ban is presently seen as a distant prospect.

International Views

Apart from the West, further states are also considering moves.

• Malaysia aims to restrict social media for teenagers effective next year.
• Brazil has increased the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

However, international bodies adopt a more measured position. A major UN agency has warned that blanket prohibitions pose dangers and "may even prove counterproductive". The agency highlights that online platforms can be a "critical link" for marginalized children and that bans should not be a "substitute" for tech companies to prioritize user protection.

As this international discussion unfolds, the actions of the Australian government and several other countries demonstrate that governments around the world are less and less willing to wait for tech companies to make changes on their own.