The Australian decisive action to ban social media access for individuals under sixteen is creating waves worldwide. Officials, safety advocates, and parents are watching intently to see if this strategy will inspire imitation for the rest of the world.
Across Europe Movement
In Europe, a growing group of countries are moving toward parallel measures.
- Denmark has announced a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM arguing that smartphones and networks are "robbing our youngsters' childhood". A law could be formalized next year.
- Norway is preparing to introduce a minimum age limit of 15, citing the need to protect children from the "power of the algorithms".
- The Irish government is working on a online verification tool to confirm the age and identity of social media account holders. The media minister have suggested that an similar ban could be "an options on the table".
- In Spain, the president has asked lawmakers to pass a proposal increasing the legal age for joining social media to 16.
- In The French government, the president has proposed a ban for under-15s, and a legislative committee has suggested a comparable move, potentially involving an overnight "screen time restriction" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
- The authorities in The Netherlands has urged guardians to block their youngsters from social media before 15.
For the broader EU, the EU parliament has passed a symbolic motion demanding a ban for under-16s unless parental consent is given. While it highlights of the "addictive" nature of these apps, the resolution does not create mandatory rules.
"A clear age barrier is a solid foundation," stated the European lawmaker driving the resolution.
The United Kingdom: A Watchful Eye
In the UK, the government has kept open a future ban, stating that "no option is discarded" but insisting any action must be "grounded in strong evidence".
Last year, momentum built behind a bill to enact limits on social media use by teenagers, but it was eventually watered down. Nonetheless, the government vowed to investigate the issue.
Charities have voiced concerns. One foundation established by the relatives of a young person who took her own life after encountering dangerous online content suggests that a simple age ban may not make platforms safer and could create a "sudden drop-off" of exposure when teens reach the legal age.
"Australia's ban is a response to the failure of the social media companies to design products and services that are secure and suitable for children," commented a prominent online safety campaigner.
The United States: A Fragmented Picture
Across America, action is mostly happening at the local government level against a backdrop of national inaction.
- Utah demands guardian permission for minors to use social media and restricts late-night use.
- Florida has signed a measure prohibiting under-14s from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to court battles.
- The state of Virginia has passed a regulation limiting minors to 60 minutes of social media use per day, with extra time needing adult consent.
- The state of Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have similarly passed measures requiring parental consent for under-16s to create social media accounts.
Despite cross-party agreement and suggestions from certain figures to copy Australia's path, a federal ban is presently seen as improbable.
Global Outlook
Outside of the West, additional nations are similarly exploring options.
- The Malaysian government plans to prohibit social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
- The Brazilian authorities has lifted the access age for the platform Instagram to 16.
But, international bodies take a more measured position. Unicef has advised that social media bans have downsides and "might have unintended consequences". The body notes that the internet can be a "critical link" for marginalized youth and that bans should not be a "substitute" for tech companies to invest in safety.
While this worldwide debate unfolds, the policies of this nation and its followers demonstrate that states internationally are no longer content to delay for platforms to act voluntarily.
