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Australia's controversial action to ban social media access for those under 16 is sparking debate around the globe. Officials, safety advocates, and parents are monitoring closely to see if this tactic will inspire imitation for other nations.

The European Trend

Across Europe, a growing group of states are exploring comparable restrictions.

• Denmark plans a restriction on social media for youth below 15, with the leader declaring that mobile devices and apps are "robbing our youngsters' childhood". Legislation is expected to be enacted next year.
• Norway is planning to implement a access barrier of 15, citing the need to protect young people from the "influence of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a online verification tool to authenticate the age and identity of social media account holders. Officials have suggested that an Australian-model ban remains "an measures on the table".
• In Spain, the president has called on the legislature to approve a bill raising the legal age for joining social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has proposed a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has suggested a comparable step, alongside an overnight "internet blackout" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The administration in the Netherlands has urged guardians to restrict their kids from social media before 15.

At the EU level, the EU parliament has approved a symbolic resolution supporting a ban for under-16s without a parent decides otherwise is provided. Although it highlights of the "compulsive" design of these apps, the step does not enact enforceable legislation.

"A clear age limit is a good first step," commented a leading European lawmaker behind the measure.

Britain: An Evidence-Based Approach

Across Britain, the leadership has not ruled out a future ban, emphasizing that "nothing is being dismissed" but stressing any decision must be "grounded in strong evidence".

Last year, momentum built behind a bill to introduce limits on social media use by teenagers, but it was eventually modified. However, the government vowed to further research the issue.

Charities have raised warnings. One foundation set up by the relatives of a girl who took her own life after viewing disturbing social media material suggests that a strict age ban could fail to protect children and could lead to a "cliff edge" of risk when young people turn 16.

"The Australian ban is a reaction to the refusal of the tech sector to design products and services that are safe and age appropriate for minors," said a prominent online safety campaigner.

The US: A Decentralized Approach

In the United States, action is largely occurring at the regional level amid federal inaction.

• Utah mandates parental consent for under-18s to use social media and controls nighttime use.
• The state of Florida has passed a bill barring those below 14 from joining social media, though it is subject to constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has approved a regulation capping minors to a single hour of social media use per day, with extra access needing a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and Louisiana have similarly passed bills demanding guardian approval for minors to set up social media profiles.

Despite cross-party agreement and suggestions from various figures to follow this example, a US-wide ban is currently seen as unlikely.

International Views

Apart from Europe and the US, further countries are similarly taking action.

• The Malaysian government aims to restrict social media for those under sixteen effective next year.
• Brazil has raised the minimum age for Instagram to 16.

However, world agencies strike a more measured stance. The UN children's agency has warned that blanket prohibitions have downsides and "could prove counterproductive". The body points out that the internet can be a "critical link" for vulnerable children and that government action should not be a "excuse" for tech companies to invest in child safeguards.

Even as this worldwide conversation evolves, the policies of this nation and several other countries demonstrate that governments around the world are no longer content to delay for platforms to self-regulate.