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Australia's decisive policy to ban social media access for young people below 16 is sparking debate worldwide. Politicians, campaigners, and parents are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will inspire imitation for the rest of the world.

European Trend

In Europe, a rising group of nations are moving toward comparable measures.

• Denmark plans a restriction on social media for children under fifteen, with the prime minister stating that smartphones and apps are "stealing our youngsters' innocence". Legislation could be passed next year.
• The Norwegian government is preparing to enforce a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to shield young people from the "influence of the AI".
• The Irish government is introducing a digital ID system to authenticate the age and identity of social media account holders. The media minister have stated that an similar ban could be "one of the measures in reserve".
• In Spain, the leader has asked the legislature to approve a bill increasing the legal age for accessing social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has threatened a ban for under-15s, and a government panel has suggested a comparable action, alongside an overnight "screen time restriction" for adolescents.
• The authorities in The Dutch government has advised parents to restrict their children from social media up to the age of 15.

For the broader EU, the bloc's legislature has approved a symbolic motion demanding a ban for minors except if a parent decides otherwise is granted. While it warns of the "habit-forming" design of these apps, the step does not create binding law.

"A clear age limit is a useful first step," stated a leading parliamentarian supporting the initiative.

The UK: An Evidence-Based Eye

Across Britain, the leadership has kept open a possible ban, arguing that "no measure is off the table" but insisting any action must be "supported by strong data".

Last year, momentum gathered behind a legislative effort to introduce restrictions on social media use by teenagers, but it was in the end weakened. Instead, the government vowed to conduct more studies the matter.

Campaign organizations have expressed concerns. An organization established by the relatives of a girl who took her own life after encountering disturbing platform posts suggests that a strict age ban may not make platforms safer and could create a "cliff edge" of risk when users reach the legal age.

"The Australian ban is a answer to the refusal of the Silicon Valley to build products and services that are appropriate and age appropriate for minors," said a leading child protection advocate.

America: A State-by-State Landscape

In the United States, regulation is mostly unfolding at the regional level amid country-wide stalemate.

• The state of Utah requires adult approval for under-18s to use social media and restricts nighttime use.
• Florida has passed a law barring those below 14 from accessing social media, though it faces constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has approved a law restricting minors to one hour of social media access per day, with any further use needing parental permission.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have likewise introduced measures requiring parental consent for teenagers to open social media profiles.

Even with bipartisan support and proposals from certain figures to mimic Australia's path, a federal ban is right now seen as improbable.

Global Views

Outside of the West, other states are similarly considering moves.

• Malaysia intends to ban social media for teenagers effective next year.
• Brazil has increased the required age for Instagram to 16.

But, world agencies take a more nuanced position. A major UN agency has cautioned that social media bans carry risks and "may even backfire". The organization points out that online platforms can be a "critical link" for vulnerable young people and that bans should not be a "replacement" for tech companies to improve user protection.

As this global debate unfolds, the actions of Australia and several other countries demonstrate that policymakers around the world are no longer prepared to wait for tech companies to act voluntarily.