Social media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdown

Quick Guide Contributors Show Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro Sam Jones in Madrid Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Natasha May in Bangkok Helena Smith in Athens Leyland Cecco in Toronto Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi Jennifer Rankin in Brussels Dan Milmo in London Kate Connolly in Berlin Miranda Bryant Alastair McCready in Taipei Rachel Savage in Johannesburg Ankita Rao Nick Robins-Early When Australia launched its ban on social media for children under the age of 16 in December, its global impact remained to be seen. The world watched with keen interest as the country adopted the most far-reaching ban yet, amid a global mix of incredulity, admiration and – among some – a staunch belief that many children would find a way to circumvent it. Months later, it became clear that Australia’s efforts were the start of a global reckoning; in March, Indonesia began blocking children under the age of 16 from accessing most social media and Malaysia followed suit this month. Last week Britain announced its own ban , which it plans to have in place by early 2027. Australia’s ban has become a kind of “bellwether”, says Justin Hendrix, the chief executive and editor of Tech Policy Press, a nonprofit media venture that since February has been tracking efforts in more than 40 countries to ban children from accessing social media. “It certainly seemed to spark a curiosity among other regulators.” The risks of a laissez-faire approach have been laid bare by a mounting number of lawsuits. …