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Australia's decisive policy to restrict social networking access for young people below 16 is creating waves around the globe. Politicians, child protection groups, and guardians are monitoring closely to see if this tactic will become a template for countries abroad.

The European Trend

Across Europe, a increasing group of states are exploring parallel measures.

• Denmark has stated a prohibition on social media for youth below 15, with the PM declaring that mobile devices and networks are "taking away our youngsters' youth". The policy may be enacted in the coming year.
• Norway is preparing to introduce a age restriction of 15, citing the need to safeguard the young from the "influence of the AI".
• The Irish government is developing a digital ID system to verify the age and identity of social media account holders. The media minister have stated that an Australia-style ban remains "an tools under consideration".
• In Spain, the leader has urged the legislature to enact a bill raising the access age for accessing social media to 16.
• In The French government, the president has proposed a ban for under-15s, and a parliamentary commission has endorsed a comparable move, alongside an overnight "digital curfew" for older teenagers.
• The administration in the Netherlands has recommended families to block their children from social media until 15.

For the broader EU, the bloc's legislature has adopted a non-binding motion calling for a ban for under-16s without a parent decides otherwise is granted. Although it cautions of the "habit-forming" quality of these services, the resolution does not create binding law.

"An effective age barrier is a useful first step," said a leading MEP driving the measure.

The United Kingdom: A Cautious Eye

In the UK, the administration has remained open to a possible ban, stating that "nothing is discarded" but maintaining any decision must be "supported by robust research".

Earlier, interest built behind a legislative effort to enact limits on social media use by teenagers, but it was ultimately watered down. Instead, the government pledged to further research the issue.

Charities have expressed apprehensions. An organization established by the loved ones of a girl who died after being exposed to harmful platform posts argues that a strict age ban may not make platforms safer and could result in a "dangerous transition" of exposure when users reach the legal age.

"The Australian ban is a response to the failure of the social media companies to create products and services that are secure and fit for children," stated a prominent online safety campaigner.

The United States: A Fragmented Landscape

Stateside, regulation is mostly happening at the local level due to federal stalemate.

• Utah mandates guardian permission for minors to use social media and restricts overnight use.
• Florida has passed a law prohibiting children under fourteen from accessing social media, though it is subject to legal challenges.
• Virginia has approved a rule restricting minors to 60 minutes of social media use per day, with additional access dependent on a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and Louisiana have also enacted measures mandating parental consent for minors to open social media profiles.

Despite bipartisan support and proposals from certain politicians to mimic this example, a federal ban is right now seen as improbable.

Worldwide Views

Outside of Europe and the US, further states are similarly considering moves.

• The Malaysian government intends to restrict social media for under-16s starting from next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has increased the required age for Instagram to 16.

Yet, global organizations strike a more measured tone. Unicef has cautioned that blanket prohibitions have downsides and "may even prove counterproductive". The agency notes that social networks can be a "critical link" for vulnerable young people and that regulation should not be a "substitute" for social media firms to prioritize child safeguards.

Even as this worldwide conversation continues, the actions of Australia and others show that policymakers globally are less and less content to wait for tech companies to self-regulate.