The global movement to shield children from the potential harms of social media is gaining significant momentum, with countries increasingly looking to Australia’s landmark decision to block users under 16 from major platforms. This trend is driven by mounting concerns over online safety, mental health, and cyberbullying. While nations like Australia have already implemented stringent bans backed by heavy fines, others—including Britain, Spain, and Greece—are actively debating similar age-based restrictions to curb youth access to sites like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Approaches to regulation vary significantly, ranging from total prohibitions to parental consent mandates and device-level restrictions. Countries like the UAE and Malaysia have set clear age thresholds for account creation, while others, such as China, utilize "minor mode" software to limit screen time at the hardware level. Meanwhile, in the United States and parts of Europe, the focus remains on strengthening existing privacy laws and digital age of consent requirements. As governments push for stricter oversight, the tech industry faces mounting pressure to improve its verification systems, as current age restrictions are widely criticized by child safety advocates for being largely ineffective.