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Australia's controversial action to ban social networking access for young people below 16 is sending ripples around the globe. Politicians, child protection groups, and guardians are watching closely to see if this approach will become a template for countries abroad.

The European Movement

In Europe, a rising group of nations are moving toward comparable measures.

• The Danish government has announced a restriction on social media for youth below 15, with the PM arguing that smartphones and networks are "taking away our kids' childhood". Legislation may be enacted soon.
• Norway is set to enforce a minimum age limit of 15, pointing to the need to protect young people from the "manipulative force of the recommendation systems".
• Ireland is working on a digital ID system to authenticate the age and identity of social media users. Authorities have stated that an similar ban could be "one of the tools in reserve".
• In The Spanish government, the leader has called on lawmakers to enact a proposal raising the access age for joining social media to 16.
• In France, the leader has threatened a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has recommended a related action, including an overnight "digital curfew" for adolescents.
• The government in the Netherlands has urged guardians to block their youngsters from social media until 15.

At the EU level, the European parliament has approved a advisory motion supporting a ban for minors unless parental consent is granted. Although it warns of the "compulsive" nature of these apps, the step does not create binding law.

"A clear age limit is a solid first step," said one European lawmaker driving the initiative.

The United Kingdom: A Cautious Approach

In the UK, the government has kept open a future ban, arguing that "no measure is discarded" but maintaining any policy must be "based on robust data".

Last year, interest gathered behind a proposal to introduce controls on social media use by minors, but it was in the end modified. Instead, the administration vowed to investigate the topic.

Campaign organizations have voiced concerns. A prominent charity established by the family of a young person who died after being exposed to harmful online content suggests that a blanket age ban may not improve online safety and could create a "sudden drop-off" of harm when teens become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a reaction to the refusal of the tech sector to create products and services that are secure and fit for children," said a leading peer.

The US: A Decentralized Landscape

Stateside, legislation is primarily occurring at the regional government level due to country-wide inaction.

• Utah demands guardian permission for minors to use social media and restricts nighttime use.
• Florida has enacted a bill prohibiting those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is entangled in constitutional disputes.
• The state of Virginia has enacted a rule limiting under-16s to a single hour of social media access per day, with extra time dependent on a guardian's okay.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have also passed bills requiring parental consent for minors to set up social media presences.

Even with cross-party agreement and calls from some figures to copy the Australian example, a nationwide ban is currently seen as improbable.

Worldwide Outlook

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

• Malaysia plans to restrict social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
• Brazil has lifted the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

Yet, international bodies strike a more measured stance. Unicef has warned that social media bans carry risks and "may even have unintended consequences". The agency notes that the internet can be a "lifeline" for isolated youth and that regulation should not be a "replacement" for platform operators to improve user protection.

As this worldwide debate unfolds, the actions of the Australian government and others demonstrate that governments around the world are no longer content to wait for platforms to make changes on their own.