Washington [US], December 15: Following Australia becoming the first country to ban social media use for those under 16 from December 10th, many other countries are considering similar measures.
According to AP, the Danish government recently reached an agreement between the ruling coalition and the two opposition parties in Parliament to ban children under 15 from accessing social media. This plan could be enacted into law by the middle of next year. In Norway, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre declared that children must be protected from "the power of algorithms," according to The Guardian .
Ireland is also introducing a digital wallet to verify the age and identity of social media users. Culture, Media and Sport Minister Patrick O'Donovan said a ban similar to the one in Australia was "one of the options we are considering."
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on Parliament to pass a bill raising the minimum age for using social media from 14 to 16. In France, Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron threatened to ban social media for those under 15, and a parliamentary committee recommended implementing such a measure.
In the UK, the Labour-led government has not ruled out implementing a ban on social media for children, but says such a ban must be "based on solid evidence".
In the US, limiting social media use is within the purview of individual states. Utah has introduced legislation requiring parental permission for those under 18 to use social media. Virginia currently restricts social media use to one hour per day for those under 16. Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have also passed laws requiring parental consent for social media accounts for children under 16.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
