However, just a few months after the Australian model came into force, serious doubts are emerging about its effectiveness. Data shows that many minors continue to use social media, circumventing the bans, while experts and activists warn that a blanket ban could undermine fundamental rights, limit access to information, and push young people into even less regulated online spaces.
For this reason, a second approach is gaining ground in several countries: not banning minors from platforms, but forcing companies to make them less harmful. This is the case in Brazil, which is focusing on targeted protections; California, which wants to disable the most addictive features for those under 16; and the European Union, which is increasingly focusing on combating design mechanisms that fuel addiction and psychological harm.
The political issue remains central: limiting social media to minors works well as a slogan and taps into discontent with Big Tech, but the international discussion is shifting to more pragmatic ground. The question is no longer just whether to ban, but how to truly protect children and adolescents without completely excluding them from the digital environment.
The backlash to social media bans has already begun – POLITICO
The Global Eye is in partnership with SIOI – Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale
