Fewer than four months prior, Australia enacted a ban on social media usage for minors under 16, triggering a wave of similar actions from governments around the globe. Austria has become the most recent nation to participate in this trend. In a press release, the Austrian government declared that it will propose a bill by the end of June aimed at restricting social media access for those under 14.

The intended legislation seeks to improve online safety for children by establishing a minimum age of 14 for social media participation. Furthermore, it aims to integrate media literacy education into schools to assist youth in discerning disinformation and risk of radicalization.

The Austrian government indicated that these initiatives are designed to confront the challenges that children encounter due to social media, including cyberbullying, addiction, and mental health issues.

While the press release does not provide extensive information, it notes that the proposed bill will tackle data privacy issues associated with age verification, ensuring the protection of user information.

Numerous social media platforms impose age restrictions, yet these are largely self-regulated by the companies, with limited enforcement. Legislative measures at the government level, akin to Australia’s, impose hefty fines on social media firms that permit underage users. The United States may soon take similar steps, as a bipartisan assembly of Senators suggested a bill earlier this year to prohibit social media access for children under 13.

Recently, social media giants like Meta and YouTube faced legal defeats in two U.S. court cases pertaining to the adverse effects of social media platforms on the mental well-being of young individuals. It will be intriguing to see how U.S. legislators move forward with age limit legislation in light of these rulings.