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Australia's bold move to restrict social media access for young people below 16 is creating waves worldwide. Officials, child protection groups, and parents are monitoring with great interest to see if this strategy will become a template for other nations.

Across Europe Momentum

In Europe, a increasing group of nations are exploring parallel bans.

• Denmark has announced a prohibition on social media for youth below 15, with the leader arguing that phones and platforms are "taking away our kids' youth". A law could be formalized in the coming year.
• Norway is preparing to enforce a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to safeguard young people from the "influence of the algorithms".
• Ireland is developing a digital ID system to verify the user details of social media account holders. Authorities have suggested that an similar ban is "an measures in reserve".
• In The Spanish government, the leader has called on lawmakers to pass a proposal raising the minimum age for accessing social media to 16.
• In France, the president has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a government panel has recommended a comparable move, potentially involving an overnight "internet blackout" for older teenagers.
• The administration in the Netherlands has recommended guardians to restrict their kids from social media before 15.

For the broader EU, the European parliament has approved a advisory motion calling for a ban for minors without guardian approval is granted. While it highlights of the "compulsive" quality of these platforms, the step does not create binding law.

"An effective age restriction is a good first step," stated the European lawmaker driving the initiative.

Britain: An Evidence-Based Stance

In the UK, the government has kept open a potential ban, emphasizing that "nothing is discarded" but maintaining any policy must be "based on robust data".

Previously, support gathered behind a legislative effort to introduce controls on social media use by under-16s, but it was in the end modified. Nonetheless, the government vowed to conduct more studies the matter.

Campaign organizations have voiced apprehensions. An organization founded by the loved ones of a teenager who was lost after encountering dangerous online content contends that a simple age ban might not make platforms safer and could result in a "sudden drop-off" of risk when users turn 16.

"Australia's ban is a response to the failure of the tech sector to design tools that are appropriate and suitable for young users," said a leading child protection advocate.

The US: A State-by-State Picture

Across America, legislation is primarily happening at the state government level against a backdrop of country-wide gridlock.

• The state of Utah demands adult approval for minors to use social media and controls late-night use.
• Florida has signed a law banning those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it faces legal challenges.
• Virginia has passed a regulation restricting teenagers to a single hour of social media access per day, with extra access dependent on parental permission.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have also enacted laws requiring parental consent for teenagers to open social media profiles.

Even with bipartisan support and calls from various figures to follow this example, a nationwide ban is presently seen as unlikely.

Worldwide Outlook

Beyond Europe and the US, other countries are also taking action.

• The Malaysian government plans to restrict social media for teenagers effective next year.
• Brazil has raised the required age for Instagram to 16.

But, international organizations strike a more nuanced stance. A major UN agency has advised that age-based restrictions have downsides and "may even prove counterproductive". The body notes that social networks can be a "vital connection" for marginalized young people and that bans should not be a "substitute" for tech companies to prioritize child safeguards.

Even as this worldwide discussion evolves, the policies of this nation and several other countries show that governments internationally are less and less willing to wait for tech companies to make changes on their own.