Australia challenges powerful tech companies ban on social networks for children under 16 years of agebut will the rest of the world follow? The country's adoption of the policy is being closely watched by politicians, safety campaigners and parents. A number of other countries are not far behind, with Europe in particular hoping to emulate Australia, while the UK remains more cautiously interested.
Europe
Denmark said it will prohibit social networks for children under 15 years old. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said mobile phones and social media were “stealing our children's childhood.” The policy could become law next year.
Norway is introduction of a minimum age limit of 15 years. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the country must protect children from the “power of algorithms.”
Ireland introduces a digital wallet to verify the age and identity of social media users. Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan said this month that an Australian-style ban was “one of the things we have in reserve”.
IN SpainPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on parliament to pass a law raising the minimum age for using social media to 16.
IN FrancePresident Emmanuel Macron has threatened to ban social media for children under 15, and a parliamentary commission has also recommended such a move, including a nightly “digital curfew” for children aged 15 to 18.
Government in NetherlandsMeanwhile, he advised parents to block their children from social media until they are 15 years old.
IN EU, The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolutiondemanding that children under 16 be banned from using social media unless their parents decide otherwise. The resolution warns about the addictive nature of social media, but is non-binding, meaning it will not become law. The EU already has legislation enshrining digital security in the form of Digital Services Actbut the appetite to continue observing remains.
Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose, who is behind the resolution, said she would continue to push for continent-wide regulation, although this would ultimately require tripartite cooperation between member states, the EU parliament and the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
The MEP said she “won't give up” until tougher rules are introduced. “Strong age restrictions are a good starting point,” she said.
Ursula von der Leyenthe commission's president, promised to create a group of experts who would advise on the best approach to protecting children. Announcing the meeting in September, she said parents were drowning in “a big tech tsunami flooding their homes.”
United Kingdom
IN United Kingdom The Labor government has not ruled out a ban, saying “nothing is on the table” but any ban would have to be “based on strong evidence”.
Last year momentum has gained is behind a private member's bill (legislation proposed by an individual legislator rather than the government) introducing restrictions on the use of social media by children under 16. But the bill was ends up dilutedalbeit with a government commitment to further research into the matter.
Molly Rose Foundation, charitable organization founded by the Molly Russell familyA teenager who committed suicide after viewing harmful online content is concerned that an age ban will not make social media safer. This week it said teenagers living under the under-16 ban could face a “cliff edge” of harm on unregulated platforms when they turn 16.
Beban Kidron, fellow bench member and influential online safety campaignersaid the ban was not a “magic bullet” but could encourage tech companies to do more to protect children.
“The Australian ban is a response to the tech sector's failure to develop products and services that are safe and age-appropriate for children. It poses a major challenge to Silicon Valley – as they insist that they design their products to keep our children safe – or leave them the hell alone,” she said.
Meanwhile, the UK Government will be watching to see if there is a new set of digital fencing under the Internet Safety Acthave the desired impact on children's safety.
US
IN USARestrictions on social networks are introduced at the state level. Utah passed a law requiring parental consent for people under 18 to use social media and restricting the use of social media at night without permission.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning those under 14 from joining social media sites, although the law — like other similar U.S. state laws — is subject to legal disputes over whether it violates the First Amendment right to free speech.
VirginiaMeanwhile, a law was passed limiting access to social media for children under 16 to one hour a day, with parental permission required for any further access. Georgia, Tennessee And Louisiana also passed bills requiring parental consent for children under 16 to open social media accounts.
Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's former White House chief of staff, is considering a run for president and has said the US should follow Australia's lead. At present, a US-wide ban seems unlikely given the impasse in Washington. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator, has teamed up with fellow Democrats in Washington to introduce a bill that would formally ban children under 13 from using social media and would ban the serving of “algorithmically targeted content” to children under 17. The bill did not become law.
Arturo Behar, a former senior engineer and consultant at Meta who reported on internet safety to the owner of Facebook and Instagram, told the Guardian that nationwide legislation was still a long way off.
He said: “It's unclear how the legislation will develop here. There are a lot of grieving parents in the US and bipartisan support, but turning this into legislation is taking a long time.”
Elsewhere
Malaysia plans to ban social media for children under 16 starting next year, and Brazil raised the minimum age for Instagram to its previous level.
On United Nationsthe attitude is more cautious. UNICEF, UN agency for children, warned that social media bans carry risks and “may even backfire.” It says internet platforms can be a lifeline for isolated or marginalized children, and that regulation should not replace tech companies investing in safety.
But as the actions of Australia and other governments show, nations around the world are no longer willing to wait.
