Many Governments are moving the discussion forward to the legislative and executive levels in the context of disputes over the use of social media by minors. Despite differences in privacy, age verification and the scope of government intervention, more specific restrictions have been proposed by Australia, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
Multiple authentication required by Australia
The Government of Australia indicated that social platforms require multiple means of validation, recognizing that users are 16 years of age and cannot rely solely on users to fill in their own age. This means that the Platform may need to introduce a more rigorous identification process.
The controversy centred on two main points: first, how the certification process might involve more personal information; and second, how the Platform could achieve compliance without excessive data collection, which remains a real challenge.
Denmark intends to promote legislation in 2026
According to the Associated Press, the Danish plan could become law by mid-2026 at the earliest. The Danish Digital Service is also promoting the application of a “digital voucher”, which includes an age-certification tool that may be used in the future to accompany the ban.
In terms of the implementation path, Denmark places greater emphasis on the provision of certification tools by the Government, which are then accessed by the platform. This approach, if landed, could be a model for other European countries.
British Inclusion Part AI Chat Tool
The British scheme does not include immediate communications services such as whatsApp and Signal, but sets a threshold for some of the AI tools. As currently stated, AI chat robots with "romantic company" properties need to ensure that only users over 18 years of age can use them.
British Prime Minister Stammer acknowledged that there were difficulties in implementing comprehensive restrictions, but believed that there was still a possibility of doing so. As it stands, the ban could be introduced as early as spring 2027.
Controversy focused on privacy and effects.
Critics argue that a comprehensive ban may not really solve the problem of Internet access for minors, but may instead ignore the actual usage habits of young users. Opponents, including Amnesty Tech, also pointed out that over-reliance on age certification may entail new privacy risks.