Countries around the world are considering teen social media bans – why experts warn it’s a ‘lazy’ fix

"I think the argument for a ban is an admission of failure that we cannot regulate companies, so we can only restrict children," one expert told CNBC..

• Governments around the world are making efforts to crack down on teen social media use amid mounting evidence of potential harms, but critics argue blanket bans are an ineffective quick fix
• Australia became the first countryto enforce a sweeping social media ban for under-16s in December, requiring platforms likeMeta'sInstagram, ByteDance's TikTok,Alphabet'sYouTube, Elon Musk's X, and Reddit to implement age verification measures or face penalties
• Several European countries are now looking to follow Australia's lead, with theU