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The Australian bold policy to ban social media access for individuals under sixteen is sending ripples worldwide. Lawmakers, child protection groups, and guardians are watching with great interest to see if this approach will set a precedent for other nations.

European Momentum

In Europe, a rising group of states are exploring comparable restrictions.

• The Danish government has announced a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM stating that mobile devices and apps are "stealing our children's childhood". Legislation may be enacted next year.
• Norway is planning to enforce a age restriction of 15, highlighting the need to protect children from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a digital wallet to authenticate the age and identity of social media account holders. Authorities have stated that an Australia-style ban remains "one of the measures on the table".
• In Spain, the leader has asked parliament to pass a proposal lifting the access age for using social media to 16.
• In The French government, the president has proposed a ban for under-15s, and a parliamentary commission has suggested a related step, including an overnight "digital curfew" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The government in the Netherlands has urged guardians to prevent their kids from social media up to the age of 15.

Across the European Union, the EU parliament has adopted a advisory statement demanding a ban for minors without a parent decides otherwise is provided. Although it highlights of the "compulsive" quality of these services, the resolution does not create mandatory rules.

"An effective age barrier is a useful starting point," stated the European lawmaker behind the initiative.

The United Kingdom: An Evidence-Based Stance

For the United Kingdom, the leadership has remained open to a possible ban, arguing that "no measure is discarded" but maintaining any decision must be "grounded in robust evidence".

Last year, momentum gathered behind a legislative effort to introduce restrictions on social media use by minors, but it was eventually modified. However, the administration pledged to further research the matter.

Charities have voiced apprehensions. One foundation founded by the family of a teenager who died after being exposed to harmful online content argues that a simple age ban may not improve online safety and could lead to a "dangerous transition" of exposure when users become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a answer to the refusal of the tech sector to build products and services that are appropriate and fit for children," commented a leading online safety campaigner.

The US: A State-by-State Picture

Across America, legislation is mostly happening at the regional level against a backdrop of national stalemate.

• The state of Utah demands guardian permission for those under 18 to use social media and restricts late-night use.
• Florida has signed a bill prohibiting children under fourteen from joining social media, though it is entangled in court battles.
• The state of Virginia has passed a rule capping minors to a single hour of social media use per day, with additional use dependent on adult consent.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise enacted measures requiring parental consent for teenagers to create social media profiles.

Even with bipartisan support and suggestions from certain individuals to copy Australia's lead, a US-wide ban is presently seen as improbable.

Global Perspectives

Outside of Europe and the US, additional countries are similarly considering moves.

• Malaysia plans to prohibit social media for under-16s beginning next year.
• Brazil has lifted the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

Yet, global agencies adopt a more nuanced position. The UN children's agency has cautioned that blanket prohibitions pose dangers and "might have unintended consequences". The organization highlights that online platforms can be a "vital connection" for marginalized children and that bans should not be a "replacement" for platform operators to invest in child safeguards.

Even as this worldwide debate evolves, the actions of the Australian government and others indicate that policymakers globally are no longer content to wait for tech companies to self-regulate.