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The Australian decisive move to ban social networking access for those under 16 is sparking debate internationally. Politicians, safety advocates, and guardians are watching with great interest to see if this tactic will become a template for countries abroad.

European Trend

Across Europe, a rising group of countries are moving toward parallel measures.

• Denmark plans a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM declaring that smartphones and platforms are "taking away our children's youth". The policy could be formalized soon.
• Norway is set to implement a access barrier of 15, citing the need to safeguard children from the "power of the algorithms".
• Ireland is working on a digital wallet to authenticate the age and identity of social media participants. The media minister have indicated that an Australia-style ban is "one of the tools in reserve".
• In Spain, the president has urged the legislature to approve a bill raising the legal age for using social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has proposed a ban for those under fifteen, and a legislative committee has recommended a similar move, including an overnight "screen time restriction" for adolescents.
• The authorities in the Netherlands has recommended families to block their kids from social media before 15.

For the broader EU, the bloc's legislature has passed a advisory resolution calling for a ban for minors except if parental consent is given. Although it highlights of the "addictive" quality of these services, the step does not create enforceable legislation.

"An effective age restriction is a good starting point," said a leading European lawmaker behind the measure.

Britain: A Cautious Eye

In the UK, the administration has kept open a potential ban, stating that "no measure is off the table" but insisting any policy must be "grounded in robust data".

Earlier, momentum built behind a bill to enact controls on social media use by teenagers, but it was ultimately weakened. Nonetheless, the government committed to further research the issue.

Charities have raised warnings. An organization established by the family of a teenager who was lost after encountering dangerous online content argues that a strict age ban could fail to protect children and could create a "dangerous transition" of harm when teens turn 16.

"This ban is a reaction to the failure of the Silicon Valley to design platforms and apps that are safe and suitable for young users," stated a leading child protection advocate.

America: A State-by-State Landscape

In the United States, legislation is largely happening at the regional government level amid country-wide inaction.

• The state of Utah demands adult approval for under-18s to use social media and controls overnight use.
• Florida has passed a bill banning those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is entangled in court battles.
• Virginia has approved a rule limiting minors to a single hour of social media use per day, with extra use requiring a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have also passed laws mandating adult authorization for minors to open social media accounts.

Even with bipartisan support and suggestions from various figures to mimic Australia's lead, a US-wide ban is right now seen as a distant prospect.

Worldwide Views

Apart from the West, additional countries are likewise considering moves.

• Malaysia plans to ban social media for those under sixteen starting from next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has raised the minimum age for the platform Instagram to 16.

However, international bodies adopt a more cautious stance. The UN children's agency has warned that social media bans have downsides and "might prove counterproductive". The agency highlights that online platforms can be a "critical link" for isolated children and that bans should not be a "replacement" for social media firms to invest in user protection.

Even as this global discussion evolves, the steps of Australia and others show that states globally are no longer willing to wait for platforms to self-regulate.