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The Australian decisive action to prohibit social media access for those under 16 is sparking debate worldwide. Lawmakers, campaigners, and parents are monitoring with great interest to see if this approach will set a precedent for other nations.

Across Europe Trend

Across Europe, a growing chorus of states are moving toward parallel measures.

• Denmark plans a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM declaring that phones and platforms are "taking away our kids' childhood". The policy is expected to be enacted next year.
• The Norwegian government is planning to enforce a minimum age limit of 15, citing the need to shield the young from the "power of the algorithms".
• Ireland is developing a online verification tool to confirm the age and identity of social media users. Authorities have indicated that an similar ban is "an tools under consideration".
• In Spain, the prime minister has urged parliament to pass a law increasing the legal age for accessing social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has floated the idea of a ban for those under fifteen, and a government panel has recommended a related action, including an overnight "screen time restriction" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
• The administration in The Netherlands has recommended guardians to block their kids from social media before 15.

Across the European Union, the European parliament has approved a advisory resolution calling for a ban for minors without guardian approval is given. Although it cautions of the "habit-forming" design of these apps, the resolution does not establish mandatory rules.

"An effective age limit is a good first step," said the MEP supporting the initiative.

The UK: An Evidence-Based Approach

In the UK, the leadership has remained open to a possible ban, arguing that "nothing is being dismissed" but stressing any action must be "grounded in conclusive data".

Previously, support built behind a legislative effort to introduce restrictions on social media use by teenagers, but it was in the end modified. However, the government vowed to investigate the matter.

Campaign organizations have expressed apprehensions. An organization founded by the relatives of a teenager who took her own life after viewing dangerous social media material contends that a simple age ban may not improve online safety and could create a "cliff edge" of exposure when teens turn 16.

"Australia's ban is a response to the refusal of the tech sector to create platforms and apps that are secure and age appropriate for young users," said a leading peer.

The US: A Decentralized Approach

In the United States, regulation is mostly occurring at the regional level amid national stalemate.

• Utah requires guardian permission for minors to use social media and limits nighttime use.
• Florida has enacted a measure barring under-14s from joining social media, though it is entangled in court battles.
• The state of Virginia has enacted a law limiting under-16s to 60 minutes of social media access per day, with any further access requiring parental permission.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have also passed measures demanding parental consent for teenagers to open social media profiles.

Despite bipartisan support and suggestions from various figures to follow the Australian lead, a federal ban is presently seen as a distant prospect.

International Outlook

Beyond the West, further states are also considering moves.

• Malaysia aims to ban social media for under-16s beginning next year.
• Brazil has increased the minimum age for Instagram to 16.

But, global agencies adopt a more cautious position. A major UN agency has advised that social media bans pose dangers and "might prove counterproductive". The organization notes that the internet can be a "lifeline" for vulnerable children and that government action should not be a "excuse" for social media firms to improve user protection.

As this international discussion unfolds, the steps of this nation and others indicate that governments globally are less and less willing to delay for tech companies to make changes on their own.