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Australia's bold move to ban social networking access for young people below 16 is sending ripples internationally. Officials, campaigners, and parents are observing closely to see if this tactic will become a template for the rest of the world.

The European Movement

In Europe, a increasing chorus of states are exploring parallel measures.

• Denmark has announced a restriction on social media for youth below 15, with the PM arguing that smartphones and platforms are "stealing our kids' youth". The policy could be formalized soon.
• Norway is set to enforce a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to shield the young from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• Ireland is working on a digital ID system to authenticate the identity and age of social media participants. The media minister have stated that an Australian-model ban could be "a potential measures on the table".
• In The Spanish government, the prime minister has asked lawmakers to pass a law increasing the minimum age for joining social media to 16.
• In The French government, the leader has floated the idea of a ban for children below 15, and a government panel has recommended a comparable move, including an overnight "digital curfew" for older teenagers.
• The government in the Netherlands has urged guardians to block their children from social media until 15.

At the EU level, the bloc's legislature has adopted a advisory resolution calling for a ban for under-16s without parental consent is provided. Even though it warns of the "addictive" nature of these services, the move does not enact enforceable legislation.

"An effective age restriction is a good first step," said the MEP supporting the resolution.

The UK: A Watchful Stance

For the United Kingdom, the leadership has kept open a future ban, arguing that "nothing is being dismissed" but stressing any action must be "supported by conclusive data".

Previously, support built behind a bill to impose restrictions on social media use by minors, but it was eventually watered down. Nonetheless, the administration pledged to further research the issue.

Campaign organizations have voiced warnings. One foundation set up by the relatives of a teenager who took her own life after being exposed to dangerous social media material argues that a strict age ban could fail to improve online safety and could create a "cliff edge" of harm when young people reach the legal age.

"Australia's ban is a answer to the refusal of the tech sector to build tools that are appropriate and suitable for children," said a leading online safety campaigner.

America: A Decentralized Approach

Across America, legislation is mostly occurring at the state level amid national inaction.

• Utah demands adult approval for under-18s to use social media and limits nighttime use.
• Florida has signed a bill barring those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to legal challenges.
• Virginia has enacted a regulation capping teenagers to a single hour of social media use per day, with any further use requiring adult consent.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have similarly introduced measures demanding adult authorization for under-16s to open social media accounts.

Despite bipartisan support and suggestions from certain figures to mimic this lead, a US-wide ban is presently seen as improbable.

Global Perspectives

Beyond the West, additional nations are likewise considering moves.

• The Malaysian government aims to ban social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has increased the required age for Instagram to 16.

Yet, international bodies strike a more cautious position. The UN children's agency has cautioned that blanket prohibitions have downsides and "could prove counterproductive". The body points out that the internet can be a "lifeline" for isolated young people and that bans should not be a "substitute" for social media firms to invest in user protection.

While this global debate evolves, the policies of this nation and several other countries show that governments around the world are less and less content to wait for platforms to make changes on their own.