🔗 Share this article Will Other Countries Pursue Australia's in Prohibiting Social Media for Youth Under Sixteen? Australia's controversial policy to ban social media access for young people below 16 is sending ripples around the globe. Lawmakers, child protection groups, and parents are watching closely to see if this tactic will become a template for countries abroad. The European Momentum Across Europe, a growing number of states are considering similar bans. Denmark plans a prohibition on social media for youth below 15, with the leader arguing that smartphones and networks are "stealing our kids' innocence". Legislation is expected to be formalized next year. The Norwegian government is set to implement a age restriction of 15, citing the need to protect the young from the "power of the AI". The Irish government is introducing a online verification tool to confirm the identity and age of social media participants. The media minister have suggested that an Australia-style ban is "a potential measures in reserve". In The Spanish government, the prime minister has urged lawmakers to enact a proposal raising the access age for joining social media to 16. In The French government, the president has proposed a ban for children below 15, and a government panel has recommended a comparable action, alongside an overnight "digital curfew" for older teenagers. The administration in the Netherlands has advised parents to block their children from social media until 15. At the EU level, the European parliament has approved a advisory resolution demanding a ban for under-16s without a parent decides otherwise is provided. Although it warns of the "addictive" nature of these platforms, the resolution does not create mandatory rules. "An effective age barrier is a good first step," commented one European lawmaker supporting the measure. Britain: An Evidence-Based Approach Across Britain, the administration has kept open a potential ban, arguing that "no measure is being dismissed" but maintaining any policy must be "based on conclusive research". Last year, support grew behind a bill to impose limits on social media use by minors, but it was eventually weakened. Instead, the administration vowed to investigate the matter. Charities have expressed concerns. An organization set up by the loved ones of a young person who took her own life after viewing harmful social media material suggests that a strict age ban could fail to make platforms safer and could result in a "sudden drop-off" of risk when teens turn 16. "The Australian ban is a answer to the refusal of the tech sector to design products and services that are safe and suitable for minors," stated a influential online safety campaigner. America: A Decentralized Picture Across America, regulation is mostly happening at the state level due to country-wide inaction. Utah mandates guardian permission for under-18s to use social media and limits nighttime use. Florida has passed a measure prohibiting under-14s from creating accounts on social media, though it faces constitutional disputes. Virginia has passed a regulation restricting under-16s to 60 minutes of social media access per day, with additional use requiring adult consent. Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have also enacted bills mandating adult authorization for teenagers to create social media accounts. Despite cross-party agreement and proposals from certain figures to mimic Australia's example, a federal ban is currently seen as unlikely. Worldwide Perspectives Beyond Europe and the US, further countries are likewise considering moves. Malaysia intends to restrict social media for teenagers starting from next year. Brazil has lifted the minimum age for Instagram to 16. But, international bodies strike a more cautious tone. Unicef has warned that age-based restrictions have downsides and "could backfire". The agency notes that the internet can be a "lifeline" for isolated children and that government action should not be a "excuse" for tech companies to improve child safeguards. Even as this global debate unfolds, the actions of Australia and its followers demonstrate that policymakers globally are increasingly content to delay for the industry to act voluntarily.