Australia Moves To Ban Children Under 16 From Social Media
Australia is moving to tighten social media regulations, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposing a ban on children under 16 from platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
This push makes Australia one of the first countries to set such strict age limits to protect children, and Albanese described it as a necessary step to shield them from “real harm.”
He emphasized that the new rules will place responsibility on social media companies to prevent minors from accessing their platforms, rather than burdening parents or young people.
If platforms fail to enforce this ban, they could face severe fines. “This is for the mums and dads,” Albanese stated. “It’s time to stop social media from doing damage to our kids.”
The proposal will be presented to state leaders for discussion this week and is expected to enter parliament by late November. Once passed, social media companies will be given a year to fully implement and uphold the ban.
Albanese highlighted the plan as “world-leading” and explained that tech companies will be required to show concrete steps for preventing underage access.
Tech companies are already reacting. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it would respect any age restrictions Australia might impose, though Meta’s head of safety, Antigone Davis, cautioned that poorly designed rules could risk making parents feel reassured without effectively improving young users’ safety.
Snapchat and DIGI, a tech industry body, raised concerns as well, arguing that the ban could block young users from mental health resources.
A DIGI spokesperson suggested a different approach, likening social media risks to learning how to swim: “We don’t ban young people from the beach; we teach them to swim safely.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland joined Albanese in warning that platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook could face hefty fines if they fail to comply with the law.
Rowland hinted that the penalties would be more than the existing $600,000 (AU$1 million), considering these companies’ billion-dollar revenues.
The age ban, however, presents logistical challenges. Toby Murray, a researcher at the University of Melbourne, pointed out that current age verification methods are often unreliable and may compromise privacy.
To address these concerns, Australia is considering possible exemptions for platforms like YouTube, which teenagers frequently use for educational purposes.
Australia has recently taken several steps to regulate tech companies, introducing bills against misinformation and banning pornography without consent.
Although similar regulations face pushback, such as from Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), this age restriction aligns with recent laws in France requiring platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for those under 15.
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