The social media ban for kids is spreading. This country is the latest to plan on restrictive legislation

Austria’s governing coalition on Friday announced plans to ban social media use for children under 14, joining a string of other countries in drawing up restrictions for young people.Alexander Pröll, the official in Chancellor Christian Stocker’s office responsible for digitization, said that draft legislation will be drawn up by the end of June. He said that “technically modern methods” of age verification will be used that allow users to verify their age while respecting their privacy.It wasn’t immediately clear when the plan to introduce a minimum age, which will need parliamentary approval, might take effect.Australia in 2024 took the lead, becoming the first country to eject children under 16 from social media with the intention of protecting them from harmful content and excessive screen time. A similar ban in Indonesia is due to start taking effect on Saturday.In Europe, lawmakers in France in January approved a bill banning social media for childre