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The Australian controversial move to restrict social platforms access for individuals under sixteen is creating waves internationally. Officials, child protection groups, and parents are monitoring intently to see if this strategy will inspire imitation for other nations.

European Momentum

Throughout Europe, a growing group of countries are exploring parallel bans.

• Denmark has announced a restriction on social media for under-15s, with the PM stating that phones and platforms are "taking away our kids' innocence". The policy may be formalized soon.
• The Norwegian government is planning to enforce a age restriction of 15, highlighting the need to protect the young from the "influence of the AI".
• Ireland is introducing a digital wallet to authenticate the identity and age of social media participants. Authorities have indicated that an Australia-style ban remains "one of the measures under consideration".
• In Spain, the leader has called on parliament to approve a bill increasing the minimum age for using social media to 16.
• In The French government, the leader has threatened a ban for those under fifteen, and a parliamentary commission has suggested a comparable move, alongside an overnight "internet blackout" for older teenagers.
• The administration in the Netherlands has urged parents to block their kids from social media up to the age of 15.

At the EU level, the bloc's legislature has approved a advisory resolution calling for a ban for minors without guardian approval is given. While it highlights of the "compulsive" design of these apps, the move does not enact enforceable legislation.

"A strong age limit is a good starting point," said the European lawmaker supporting the measure.

Britain: A Cautious Eye

For the United Kingdom, the government has remained open to a potential ban, emphasizing that "nothing is off the table" but insisting any decision must be "supported by strong data".

Previously, momentum gathered behind a legislative effort to impose restrictions on social media use by minors, but it was in the end weakened. Nonetheless, the government pledged to investigate the matter.

Advocacy groups have raised apprehensions. A prominent charity founded by the loved ones of a girl who died after encountering harmful platform posts argues that a blanket age ban may not protect children and could create a "cliff edge" of harm when young people become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a answer to the inability of the social media companies to create products and services that are secure and fit for children," said a leading child protection advocate.

America: A Decentralized Landscape

Stateside, regulation is mostly occurring at the local level against a backdrop of country-wide inaction.

• Utah requires adult approval for minors to use social media and limits overnight use.
• Florida has signed a measure barring those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to constitutional disputes.
• Virginia has approved a law capping teenagers to a single hour of social media use per day, with any further time dependent on adult consent.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have likewise introduced measures mandating parental consent for under-16s to set up social media presences.

Even with cross-party agreement and proposals from some figures to copy the Australian path, a nationwide ban is right now seen as unlikely.

Global Outlook

Apart from Europe and the US, additional states are likewise considering moves.

• The Malaysian government intends to ban social media for teenagers beginning next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has raised the access age for the platform Instagram to 16.

Yet, global organizations strike a more nuanced position. A major UN agency has cautioned that social media bans have downsides and "may even prove counterproductive". The organization highlights that online platforms can be a "lifeline" for isolated children and that regulation should not be a "replacement" for tech companies to improve safety.

While this worldwide debate unfolds, the policies of the Australian government and others demonstrate that policymakers around the world are less and less prepared to delay for tech companies to act voluntarily.