Social Media Ban: Why has Facebook and Instagram become a threat for children? Ban imposed in many countries. What is the reason?

While the growing influence of social media has given the youth a platform to do something new, it has also raised concerns about its ill effects on the mental health and safety of children. Cases of stress among children are also increasing due to social media. These days, the mentality of being left behind is also taking root in children by seeing the posts and statuses of others on social media. Because of this, they are becoming victims of mental stress and taking wrong steps.

In view of these cases, many countries have now started trying to regulate social media for children. Many countries of the world have implemented strict rules and restrictions to reduce social media addiction among children. Let us know about some countries where the use of social media by underage children has been banned.

Australia
Australia has passed a historic law to completely ban social media for children under the age of 16. The purpose of this law is to protect the mental health of children. Under this, social media companies will have to ensure that children under the age of 16 cannot create an account on their platform, and if they do not do so, they will be heavily fined.

France
In France, children under the age of 15 are required to obtain parental consent to create a social media account. This law directs social media companies to implement a strict age verification system to ensure this. Its purpose is to reduce the screen time of children and protect them from threats like cyberbullying.

United Kingdom (UK)
The "Online Safety Act" has been passed in the UK, which sets strict standards for child safety on social media platforms. Although there is no direct ban on children under the age of 16, the law ensures that the platforms provide safe and age-appropriate content for children, and their privacy is also taken care of.

Germany
In Germany, minors under the age of 16 have to obtain parental consent to use social media. This rule has been implemented to protect children from risks such as online fraud and exploitation.

Norway
Norway plans to raise the minimum age limit for social media from 13 to 15 years. This step has been taken to protect children from harmful content and digital addiction.

China
China has very strict rules on social media and online gaming for children. Online game playing time for children under the age of 18 has been limited to only three hours per week. Apart from this, the government also monitors the online content of children to protect them from inappropriate content.

European Union (EU)
In many countries of the European Union, parental consent is required to process the personal data of children under the age of 16 under the Data Protection Law (GDPR). Its member countries can change this rule according to their needs. For example, parental permission is required for children under the age of 13 in Belgium.

It is a bit difficult to implement these rules in this era of social media, because companies face technical challenges in implementing the age verification system. Despite this, giving priority to the safety of children, these laws are being continuously made more stringent at the global level.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.