🔗 Share this article

The Australian controversial policy to ban social networking access for young people below 16 is sending ripples around the globe. Politicians, child protection groups, and parents are monitoring with great interest to see if this strategy will become a template for the rest of the world.

European Trend

In Europe, a growing chorus of countries are considering comparable bans.

• The Danish government plans a restriction on social media for under-15s, with the prime minister stating that mobile devices and networks are "stealing our children's innocence". Legislation is expected to be passed in the coming year.
• The Norwegian government is planning to implement a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to shield the young from the "influence of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the user details of social media users. Officials have suggested that an Australian-model ban is "an measures in reserve".
• In Spain, the leader has urged lawmakers to pass a bill lifting the access age for joining social media to 16.
• In The French government, the head of state has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has recommended a similar step, potentially involving an overnight "screen time restriction" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The government in The Dutch government has urged guardians to block their children from social media up to the age of 15.

Across the European Union, the EU parliament has approved a non-binding motion calling for a ban for teenagers under 16 without a parent decides otherwise is granted. Even though it warns of the "compulsive" quality of these apps, the resolution does not enact mandatory rules.

"A strong age barrier is a useful starting point," said the European lawmaker supporting the resolution.

The UK: A Cautious Approach

In the UK, the government has not ruled out a possible ban, emphasizing that "nothing is off the table" but stressing any decision must be "grounded in conclusive research".

Previously, momentum grew behind a legislative effort to enact controls on social media use by teenagers, but it was in the end weakened. Nonetheless, the government vowed to further research the matter.

Charities have voiced concerns. One foundation set up by the loved ones of a girl who took her own life after viewing dangerous platform posts argues that a simple age ban could fail to improve online safety and could create a "dangerous transition" of risk when young people reach the legal age.

"The Australian ban is a response to the refusal of the Silicon Valley to build tools that are secure and suitable for young users," commented a influential peer.

The US: A State-by-State Picture

Stateside, action is mostly unfolding at the local level against a backdrop of national inaction.

• Utah requires parental consent for under-18s to use social media and limits overnight use.
• Florida has passed a bill barring children under fourteen from accessing social media, though it is entangled in legal challenges.
• Virginia has enacted a regulation capping minors to a single hour of social media access per day, with additional time needing a guardian's okay.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise passed laws requiring parental consent for teenagers to set up social media profiles.

Despite cross-party agreement and calls from some figures to mimic the Australian path, a US-wide ban is right now seen as unlikely.

International Perspectives

Apart from these regions, other states are also exploring options.

• Malaysia aims to ban social media for under-16s beginning next year.
• Brazil has lifted the required age for one major platform to 16.

Yet, world bodies strike a more nuanced tone. The UN children's agency has cautioned that social media bans have downsides and "may even prove counterproductive". The agency notes that online platforms can be a "vital connection" for vulnerable children and that regulation should not be a "excuse" for tech companies to invest in safety.

While this international conversation unfolds, the actions of the Australian government and its followers show that governments globally are no longer willing to stand by for the industry to make changes on their own.