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The nation's bold move to prohibit social platforms access for those under 16 is sending ripples internationally. Politicians, child protection groups, and families are monitoring with great interest to see if this strategy will set a precedent for the rest of the world.

The European Movement

In Europe, a rising group of countries are exploring similar measures.

• The Danish government plans a ban on social media for youth below 15, with the prime minister declaring that smartphones and networks are "taking away our youngsters' childhood". The policy may be formalized in the coming year.
• The Norwegian government is preparing to implement a minimum age limit of 15, pointing to the need to safeguard young people from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a online verification tool to confirm the identity and age of social media users. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban remains "one of the options on the table".
• In Spain, the president has called on lawmakers to pass a bill lifting the minimum age for using social media to 16.
• In The French government, the leader has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has recommended a similar move, including an overnight "internet blackout" for adolescents.
• The government in the Netherlands has advised guardians to prevent their kids from social media before 15.

At the EU level, the European parliament has adopted a advisory resolution supporting a ban for minors except if guardian approval is granted. While it highlights of the "compulsive" quality of these platforms, the move does not create enforceable legislation.

"A clear age barrier is a good starting point," commented the parliamentarian behind the initiative.

The United Kingdom: An Evidence-Based Stance

For the United Kingdom, the leadership has kept open a possible ban, stating that "nothing is being dismissed" but insisting any policy must be "grounded in robust evidence".

Earlier, support grew behind a legislative effort to enact controls on social media use by minors, but it was in the end watered down. Nonetheless, the administration vowed to further research the issue.

Charities have raised concerns. One foundation set up by the loved ones of a girl who took her own life after encountering harmful platform posts argues that a strict age ban may not make platforms safer and could result in a "sudden drop-off" of harm when teens turn 16.

"The Australian ban is a response to the inability of the Silicon Valley to build tools that are appropriate and age appropriate for minors," commented a leading peer.

The United States: A Decentralized Landscape

In the United States, legislation is mostly unfolding at the state government level against a backdrop of country-wide stalemate.

• The state of Utah demands parental consent for under-18s to use social media and restricts nighttime use.
• The state of Florida has signed a measure banning under-14s from joining social media, though it is entangled in court battles.
• Virginia has approved a rule capping under-16s to a single hour of social media use per day, with any further use dependent on a guardian's okay.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise enacted laws requiring guardian approval for under-16s to set up social media presences.

Despite bipartisan support and proposals from various figures to mimic this example, a US-wide ban is right now seen as improbable.

International Perspectives

Apart from Europe and the US, additional countries are also exploring options.

• Malaysia plans to prohibit social media for under-16s effective next year.
• Brazil has raised the access age for Instagram to 16.

However, world organizations strike a more cautious tone. The UN children's agency has warned that blanket prohibitions pose dangers and "could prove counterproductive". The agency points out that online platforms can be a "critical link" for vulnerable children and that regulation should not be a "replacement" for platform operators to improve user protection.

Even as this international debate evolves, the policies of Australia and several other countries show that states globally are no longer content to delay for tech companies to self-regulate.