Recently, the Australian Senate passed a law banning children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, and X.
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Australia’s social media ban on under-16s has attracted global attention, with governments around the world considering introducing similar policies, with the UK seen as likely to be next.
The Australian Government’s Online Safety Amendment Act will come into effect on December 10, and will be used by Reddit, X, meta Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, Bytedance’s TikTok.
Platforms are forced to implement age verification methods to prevent anyone under 16 from creating an account, and failure to comply could result in fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million).
Since the ban went into effect, governments around the world have drafted legislation to implement Australian-style bans, with mixed reactions from teenagers, tech giants and experts.
“This is a global issue and governments everywhere are having to respond,” Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of UK-based Smartphone Free Childhood, told CNBC. SFC is a grassroots movement urging parents to delay giving their children access to smartphones and social media.
“We are already seeing countries moving in this direction, and as confidence grows and evidence accumulates, more countries will follow. No one believes that the status quo is doing children, parents or society any favors, and this is one of the clearest policy responses currently being considered,” Greenwell added.
Other countries considering social media bans for under-16s include the UK, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy and Greece.
Ravi Iyer, managing director of the Neely Center at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School, said the U.S. is lagging on this front, and while a national ban is unlikely, there is certainly state and local interest.
Mr. Iyer has worked closely with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who wrote the famous book, An Anxious Generation, about the negative effects of social media and smartphones on children and teens.
“It’s very difficult to predict federal policy, but this is one of the few remaining bipartisan issues, so it’s certainly possible,” Ayer said in an emailed comment.
“I have more confidence at the state level and believe that several states in the United States will enact such policies within the next few years.”
Lawmakers in California and Texas are considering introducing state-level bans in 2026.
But governments seeking to introduce such bans could face resistance from tech giants.
In response to Australia’s move, the community-based forum Reddit filed a lawsuit claiming the new law goes too far in restricting political discussion online. Facebook and Instagram owner Mr Mehta urged Canberra to reconsider the ban. And Elon Musk’s Mr. X said in a statement to users explaining how the restrictions would work: “It’s not our choice, it’s what Australian law requires.”
UK plans to vote on social media ban bill
Meanwhile, in the UK, calls for a social media ban for under-16s rose rapidly earlier this year. The House of Lords is expected to vote this week on amendments to the Child Welfare and Schools Bill that would ban social media for under-16s.
Mr Greenwell’s SFC launched an email campaign this week, with more than 100,000 emails sent to local MPs in the UK. The SFC’s template email called on governments to set “reasonable and age-appropriate boundaries that protect children’s well-being.”
“We consistently see that the more time children spend on smartphones and social media, the worse their mental health tends to be. When these platforms are no longer available, network effects break down, allowing young people to reconnect with each other and with the real world,” Greenwell told CNBC.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported the idea, saying “we need to better protect our children from social media” and said he was considering a ban in Australia.
Mr Starmer said last week: “All options are on the table as to what further protections can be put in place, including issues that I am very concerned about, such as under-16s on social media and screen time with under-5s.”
“Children spend so much time on screens that they end up as four-year-olds (in their first year of school) in reception,” he added.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting has asked Mr Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, to address officials at an event calling for tougher restrictions on young people.
France 24 reported last week that France is also a likely candidate to consider two bills to ban under-15s from accessing social media. One of them is supported by French President Emmanuel Macron. France’s public health watchdog ANSES outlined that the negative effects of social media are “numerous” and well-documented.
USC’s Iyer said if banning teenagers becomes a global standard, there will be less pressure on young people to self-police.
“One of the main goals of this law is to change the norm so that teens don’t feel pressured to use social media just because all their friends are on it,” Iyer said.
“If you feel like all your friends are using a particular platform, abstaining is not a realistic option. If we can solve that problem and the majority of teens stop using social media, we will have done a lot of good,” he added.
