Social media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdown
Australia has introduced new regulations that restrict children’s access to certain social media features, prompting a wave of similar proposals worldwide. The measures aim to curb perceived harms of excessive platform use among minors, though the overall effectiveness of such bans remains uncertain. Big technology firms are confronting increasing pressure to adapt to these emerging rules, likened by some observers to a tobacco‑style reckoning.
- ▪Australia's new law requires social media platforms to verify users' ages and blocks users under 16 from accessing specific services such as short‑form video feeds.
- ▪Following Australia's move, the United Kingdom, several U.S. states and the European Union are debating comparable restrictions on youth social‑media usage.
- ▪Industry representatives argue that bans could drive younger users toward less regulated or emerging platforms, complicating enforcement efforts.
- ▪Researchers note that evidence on the impact of social‑media bans on overall usage and mental‑health outcomes is still limited.
- ▪Critics compare the regulatory push to historic tobacco control efforts, suggesting a broader shift in how societies manage digital harms.
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The rush to regulate comes even as the overall impact of social media bans remains unclear Illustration: Guardian Design/GettyView image in fullscreenThe rush to regulate comes even as the overall impact of social media bans remains unclear Illustration: Guardian Design/GettyThe Saturday readSocial media bansSocial media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdownAs a host of countries move to rein in social media use by children, could this be technology’s big tobacco moment?Ashifa KassamSat 27 Jun 2026 01.00 EDTShare@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2)…
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