As Britain gears up to impose one of the most stringent social media restrictions on youth in the world, the debate surrounding child safety, parental responsibility, and online freedom is set to intensify. Will this bold move serve to protect children or merely redirect them to more dangerous online spaces?

The U.K. seems to be following Australia's lead in banning a wide swath of social media for teens.

Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen…