<\/p>\n
Australia is taking on powerful tech companies with its under-16 social media ban<\/a>, but will the rest of the world follow? The country\u2019s enactment of the policy is being watched closely by politicians, safety campaigners and parents. A number of other countries are not far behind, with Europe in particular hoping to replicate Australia, while the UK is keeping more of a watchful interest.<\/p>\n Denmark<\/strong> has said it will ban<\/a> social media for under-15s, with the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, saying mobile phones and social media are \u201cstealing our children\u2019s childhood\u201d. The policy could become law next year.<\/p>\n Norway<\/strong> is bringing in a minimum age limit of 15<\/a>. The prime minister, Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re, has said the country must protect children from the \u201cpower of the algorithms\u201d.<\/p>\n Ireland<\/strong> is introducing a digital wallet to verify the age and identity of social media users. The media minister, Patrick O\u2019Donovan, said this month an Australia-style ban was \u201cone of the things that we are holding in reserve\u201d.<\/p>\n In Spain<\/strong>, the prime minister, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, has called on parliament to pass a bill raising the minimum age for using social media to 16.<\/p>\n In France<\/strong>, the president, Emmanuel Macron, has threatened to ban social media for under-15s and a parliamentary commission has also recommended such a move, including an overnight \u201cdigital curfew\u201d for 15- to 18-year-olds.<\/p>\n The government in the Netherlands<\/strong>, meanwhile, has advised parents to block their children from social media until they are 15.<\/p>\n In the EU<\/strong>, the European parliament has passed a non-binding resolution<\/a>, demanding under-16s be banned from using social media unless their parents decide otherwise. The resolution warned of the \u201caddictive\u201d nature of social media but is non-binding, meaning it will not become law. The EU already has legislation that enshrines digital safety in the form of the Digital Services Act<\/a>, but an appetite remains to take oversight further.<\/p>\n The Danish MEP behind the resolution, Christel Schaldemose, said she would continue to push for continent-wide regulation, although that ultimately requires a three-way cooperation between member states, the EU parliament and the European Commission, the EU\u2019s executive arm.<\/p>\n The MEP said she was \u201cnot giving up\u201d until tougher regulations were in place. \u201cA strong age limit is a good starting point,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ursula von der Leyen<\/a>, the commission\u2019s president, has promised to establish a panel of experts who will advise on the best approach for protecting children. Announcing the panel in September, she said parents were drowning in the \u201ctsunami of big tech flooding their family homes\u201d.<\/p>\n In the UK<\/strong> the Labour government has not ruled out a ban, saying \u201cnothing is off the table\u201d but any ban must be \u201cbased on robust evidence\u201d.<\/p>\n Last year momentum gathered<\/a> behind a private member\u2019s bill (legislation proposed by an individual lawmaker, not the government), imposing restrictions on under-16s using social media. But the bill was ultimately watered down<\/a>, albeit with a government commitment to research the issue further.<\/p>\nEurope<\/h2>\n
UK<\/h2>\n