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Australia's decisive action to ban social media access for those under 16 is creating waves worldwide. Lawmakers, safety advocates, and parents are watching with great interest to see if this tactic will set a precedent for other nations.

Across Europe Momentum

Throughout Europe, a increasing number of countries are moving toward similar restrictions.

• Denmark has stated a restriction on social media for youth below 15, with the PM arguing that mobile devices and networks are "taking away our kids' innocence". Legislation could be formalized in the coming year.
• The Norwegian government is set to introduce a age restriction of 15, pointing to the need to protect children from the "influence of the recommendation systems".
• Ireland is introducing a digital wallet to authenticate the age and identity of social media account holders. Officials have suggested that an Australia-style ban could be "a potential tools under consideration".
• In The Spanish government, the president has asked lawmakers to pass a bill lifting the minimum age for joining 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 suggested a comparable action, alongside an overnight "digital curfew" for older teenagers.
• The administration in The Dutch government has advised guardians to restrict their youngsters from social media up to the age of 15.

At the EU level, the bloc's legislature has approved a non-binding motion calling for a ban for minors except if guardian approval is granted. Even though it warns of the "addictive" quality of these platforms, the move does not enact binding law.

"A strong age limit is a good starting point," stated the European lawmaker supporting the initiative.

The United Kingdom: A Watchful Eye

Across Britain, the government has kept open a potential ban, emphasizing that "no measure is being dismissed" but insisting any policy must be "supported by strong research".

Earlier, interest grew behind a bill to enact limits on social media use by teenagers, but it was ultimately modified. Nonetheless, the government vowed to conduct more studies the topic.

Campaign organizations have expressed apprehensions. A prominent charity set up by the family of a young person who died after viewing harmful platform posts suggests that a blanket age ban might not make platforms safer and could lead to a "dangerous transition" of harm when young people become eligible.

"The Australian ban is a response to the failure of the tech sector to create tools that are appropriate and suitable for children," commented a prominent online safety campaigner.

The United States: A State-by-State Landscape

Across America, action is primarily happening at the regional level due to federal inaction.

• Utah demands guardian permission for those under 18 to use social media and restricts late-night use.
• Florida has enacted a bill prohibiting children under fourteen from creating accounts on social media, though it is entangled in legal challenges.
• Virginia has approved a law capping under-16s to a single hour of social media access per day, with extra access requiring adult consent.
• Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have also introduced laws demanding adult authorization for teenagers to open social media profiles.

Despite widespread concern and proposals from various politicians to follow the Australian path, a US-wide ban is right now seen as a distant prospect.

Worldwide Outlook

Outside of Europe and the US, additional nations are also taking action.

• Malaysia aims to restrict social media for teenagers effective next year.
• Brazil has increased the minimum age for one major platform to 16.

But, international agencies strike a more nuanced stance. A major UN agency has cautioned that social media bans pose dangers and "might have unintended consequences". The agency notes that online platforms can be a "vital connection" for vulnerable children and that government action should not be a "excuse" for social media firms to invest in user protection.

Even as this global discussion evolves, the steps of this nation and its followers demonstrate that policymakers around the world are no longer prepared to delay for platforms to make changes on their own.