Nations Ban Kids from Social Media, US Lags Behind

0:00It's March 28th. Welcome to Vancouver News Today, powered by AI. Parents and kids advocates in the U.S. are pushing hard for change after recent court wins against Big Tech, but without federal rules, platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok probably won't budge much. They're eyeing the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the Senate in 2024, but is still stuck. Meanwhile, countries around the world are jumping in with real restrictions on kids' social media. Australia led the charge last year, banning kids under 16 from platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram. Platforms face fines up to $50 million Australian dollars, about 34 million U.S., if they don't block under 16s. Indonesia is following suit this month, starting a gradual ban for under 16s on high-risk sites like YouTube, TikTok and Roblox, making it the awful first in Southeast Asia. Many parents love these moves for shielding kids from harms, but experts worry about how platforms

1:04verify ages without IDs and the hit-to-free. Speech, social ties, privacy for everyone. In Brazil, a new law requires kids under 16 to link accounts to guardians, ban's addictive infinite scroll and auto-playing videos and demands, real age checks. Australia plans a ban for under 14s by June, using privacy-friendly tech. France approved one for under 15s starting next school year in September, plus school phone bans. Spain, Denmark, the UK and Malaysia are tightening rules too, from licenses and age gates to under 16 bans. As these nations act fast, the global push shows protecting young minds online is gaining steam, leaving the U.S. to catch up or watch the world reshape. Kids digital lives.