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Australia's controversial move to ban social platforms access for those under 16 is sending ripples worldwide. Lawmakers, safety advocates, and guardians are watching closely to see if this strategy will set a precedent for other nations.

The European Momentum

Across Europe, a growing group of states are exploring comparable restrictions.

• The Danish government has announced a ban on social media for children under fifteen, with the PM arguing that mobile devices and platforms are "taking away our kids' childhood". The policy may be enacted soon.
• Norway is planning to enforce a minimum age limit of 15, highlighting the need to protect children from the "power of the recommendation systems".
• The Irish government is developing a digital ID system to authenticate the identity and age of social media users. Authorities have suggested that an Australian-model ban is "an tools on the table".
• In Spain, the leader has asked lawmakers to enact a law increasing the minimum age for accessing social media to 16.
• In France, the head of state has floated the idea of a ban for children below 15, and a legislative committee has recommended a comparable move, including an overnight "internet blackout" for adolescents.
• The administration in The Dutch government has urged guardians to prevent their kids from social media up to the age of 15.

For the broader EU, the bloc's legislature has adopted a advisory resolution calling for a ban for under-16s except if guardian approval is given. While it warns of the "habit-forming" design of these apps, the move does not enact enforceable legislation.

"A clear age limit is a solid starting point," commented a leading MEP supporting the initiative.

Britain: A Cautious Stance

In the UK, the administration has remained open to a potential ban, emphasizing that "nothing is discarded" but maintaining any action must be "grounded in conclusive data".

Previously, interest grew behind a proposal to enact controls on social media use by under-16s, but it was in the end modified. However, the government pledged to conduct more studies the matter.

Charities have raised warnings. One foundation established by the loved ones of a girl who took her own life after being exposed to harmful platform posts contends that a simple age ban could fail to improve online safety and could create a "dangerous transition" of exposure when teens reach the legal age.

"Australia's ban is a reaction to the failure of the Silicon Valley to design platforms and apps that are safe and suitable for minors," stated a influential online safety campaigner.

America: A State-by-State Picture

In the United States, regulation is mostly happening at the state level due to federal stalemate.

• Utah requires adult approval for minors to use social media and restricts late-night use.
• The state of Florida has passed a law banning those below 14 from creating accounts on social media, though it is subject to legal challenges.
• Virginia has enacted a regulation capping minors to 60 minutes of social media time per day, with extra access needing a guardian's okay.
• The state of Georgia, Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have also passed measures requiring guardian approval for under-16s to open social media presences.

Even with cross-party agreement and proposals from various figures to follow this lead, a federal ban is right now seen as improbable.

Global Perspectives

Apart from Europe and the US, additional states are similarly exploring options.

• Malaysia intends to prohibit social media for under-16s effective next year.
• The Brazilian authorities has increased the required age for the platform Instagram to 16.

But, global organizations take a more measured position. A major UN agency has warned that age-based restrictions carry risks and "could have unintended consequences". The agency notes that the internet can be a "critical link" for marginalized young people and that bans should not be a "replacement" for social media firms to improve child safeguards.

As this global debate unfolds, the steps of Australia and its followers demonstrate that governments internationally are less and less content to delay for platforms to self-regulate.