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The nation's controversial action to restrict social media access for young people below 16 is sending ripples internationally. Officials, safety advocates, and families are monitoring intently to see if this tactic will become a template for countries abroad.

The European Momentum

Across Europe, a growing chorus of states are exploring similar measures.

• Denmark has announced a restriction on social media for under-15s, with the leader arguing that mobile devices and platforms are "robbing our children's childhood". The policy may be enacted in the coming year.
• Norway is planning to enforce a access barrier of 15, pointing to the need to shield children from the "manipulative force of the AI".
• Ireland is developing a digital wallet to verify the identity and age of social media users. Officials have stated that an similar ban is "an options on the table".
• In The Spanish government, the prime minister has asked the legislature to enact a proposal increasing the legal age for using social media to 16.
• In The French government, the leader has floated the idea of a ban for those under fifteen, and a legislative committee has endorsed a similar step, alongside an overnight "internet blackout" for adolescents.
• The government in the Netherlands has advised families to block their children from social media until 15.

Across the European Union, the EU parliament has passed a non-binding motion supporting a ban for minors unless a parent decides otherwise is granted. Although it cautions of the "addictive" nature of these platforms, the step does not establish binding law.

"A strong age restriction is a useful foundation," stated one MEP supporting the initiative.

Britain: An Evidence-Based Approach

Across Britain, the administration has not ruled out a potential ban, stating that "no measure is off the table" but maintaining any action must be "supported by robust evidence".

Previously, support gathered behind a legislative effort to introduce controls on social media use by teenagers, but it was in the end weakened. Nonetheless, the administration committed to further research the issue.

Campaign organizations have expressed warnings. One foundation founded by the loved ones of a young person who was lost after encountering harmful platform posts argues that a strict age ban could fail to improve online safety and could result in a "sudden drop-off" of exposure when users become eligible.

"This ban is a reaction to the refusal of the tech sector to build platforms and apps that are appropriate and fit for children," stated a influential online safety campaigner.

The United States: A Fragmented Picture

In the United States, regulation is primarily unfolding at the local government level against a backdrop of country-wide inaction.

• Utah requires parental consent for minors to use social media and restricts overnight use.
• Florida has signed a law barring children under fourteen from accessing social media, though it faces court battles.
• The state of Virginia has approved a regulation restricting under-16s to 60 minutes of social media time per day, with any further access dependent on parental permission.
• Georgia, The state of Tennessee, and The state of Louisiana have similarly enacted laws mandating parental consent for minors to open social media accounts.

Despite widespread concern and calls from various figures to mimic this example, a US-wide ban is presently seen as unlikely.

Global Perspectives

Apart from the West, additional states are also taking action.

• Malaysia aims to ban social media for those under sixteen beginning next year.
• Brazil has increased the required age for the platform Instagram to 16.

However, international bodies take a more nuanced position. The UN children's agency has cautioned that social media bans carry risks and "may even backfire". The body points out that the internet can be a "vital connection" for marginalized young people and that bans should not be a "substitute" for social media firms to improve safety.

Even as this worldwide debate unfolds, the actions of this nation and its followers indicate that governments globally are no longer content to wait for the industry to self-regulate.