The social media prohibition for individuals under 16 in Australia has attracted international scrutiny, prompting governments around the globe to contemplate adopting analogous measures, with the U.K. poised to follow suit.
The Australian government’s Online Safety Amendment Act took effect on December 10, involving major platforms like Reddit, X, Meta’s Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Bytedance’s TikTok.
The platforms had to adopt age verification protocols to guarantee that users under 16 cannot register, with potential fines reaching up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million) for non-compliance.
Despite varied responses from teenagers, tech giants, and specialists regarding the ban’s implementation, there are contrary legislative efforts worldwide aimed at enacting Australia-like restrictions.
“This is a worldwide challenge, and governments are facing immense pressure to act,” Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of U.K.-based Smartphone Free Childhood, told CNBC. SFC is a grassroots initiative encouraging parents to postpone granting children smartphones and access to social media.
“Countries are already steering in this direction, and as confidence increases and evidence becomes more prevalent, others will likely follow. There is a shared belief that the current situation is detrimental to children, parents, and society – this is one of the clearest responses being proposed at present,” Greenwell added.
Additional nations contemplating a social media prohibition for individuals under 16 comprise the U.K., France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Greece.
The United States lags on this issue, as a nationwide ban appears unlikely; however, there is significant interest at the state and local levels, according to Ravi Iyer, managing director at the University of Southern California Marshall School’s Neely Center.
Iyer has collaborated extensively with social psychologist Jonathon Haidt, the author of the acclaimed book The Anxious Generation, which addresses the adverse effects of social media and smartphones on youth.
“Predicting Federal policy is quite challenging, but it’s among the few bipartisan topics remaining, so it certainly remains a possibility,” Iyer commented in an email.
“I am more optimistic at the state level and believe we will observe a handful of U.S. states implement such legislation in the forthcoming years.”
Legislators in California and Texas are exploring the possibility of instituting state-level bans by 2026.
However, governments aiming to establish such prohibitions may encounter pushback from tech conglomerates.
In response to Australia’s actions, community-oriented platform Reddit filed a lawsuit, asserting that the new regulation oversteps by limiting online political discussions. Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta urged Canberra to rethink the prohibition. Additionally, in a communication to users detailing the restrictions, Elon Musk’s X stated: “It’s not our choice – it’s mandated by Australian law.”
U.K. prepared to vote on social media prohibition
Concurrently, demands for a social media ban for youths under 16 in the U.K. have surged dramatically at the start of this year. The U.K.’s House of Lords is anticipated to vote this week on amending the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to incorporate a social media ban for individuals under 16.
Greenwell’s SFC initiated an email campaign this week, resulting in over 100,000 emails being sent to local U.K. representatives. The SFC template letter urged the government to establish “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries that safeguard children’s wellbeing.”
“We’ve consistently observed that increased time spent on smartphones and social media correlates with declining mental health outcomes for children. Should these platforms become unavailable, the network effects will diminish – allowing young people to reconnect with each other and the tangible world,” Greenwell told CNBC.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also shown support for the initiative, stating “we need to enhance protection for children against social media” and that he is analyzing Australia’s prohibition.
“All alternatives are being considered regarding further protections we can implement – whether concerning individuals under 16 on social media or a concern I find particularly pressing, screen time for those under five,” Starmer remarked last week.
“Children are arriving at age four in reception [the first year of school] after having spent excessive time on screens,” he added.
Simultaneously, U.K. health secretary Wes Streeting has invited The Anxious Generation author Haidt to brief his officials at an event promoting stricter limits on youth engagement with social media.
France is another strong candidate for such legislation as it considers two proposals, one supported by French President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at restricting social media access for those under 15, as reported by France24 last week. France’s public health authority ANSES noted that the adverse effects of social media are “numerous” and well documented.
USC’s Iyer stated that if a prohibition for teenagers becomes a universal standard, it reduces the pressure on youths to self-regulate.
“One of the primary aims of the legislation is to shift the norm, so that teens do not feel pressured to engage with social media simply because all their peers are doing so,” Iyer noted.
“It isn’t a feasible choice to refrain if you sense that all your friends are utilizing a specific platform. If we can resolve this issue and most teens are off of social media, we will have accomplished significant progress,” he added.
