Australia is set to introduce a world-first social media ban for children under 16, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing the government’s plan to legislate restrictions aimed at reducing harm to young users.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Albanese declared, "Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it." The legislation, which will be introduced to Parliament this year, is set to come into force a year after its ratification. Once enacted, this policy will prohibit anyone under 16 from accessing popular platforms, including Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X, and likely Alphabet’s YouTube.
In a significant departure from similar regulations abroad, Australia’s policy will not allow any exemptions for parental consent, a stance that positions it as one of the most stringent social media laws targeting youth.
Under the proposed legislation, the onus will fall on social media companies to take "reasonable steps" to block access for users under the age limit. "The onus won’t be on parents or young people," Albanese said, underscoring the government’s intent to hold platforms accountable for enforcing the restrictions.
Australia’s move follows attempts in other countries to restrict social media access for minors. In 2022, France proposed a ban for users under 15 but included provisions allowing children to access platforms with parental consent. The United States, for decades, has mandated parental consent for data collection from users under 13, a rule that has led most platforms to restrict accounts for this age group. Australia’s upcoming legislation, however, marks a novel and more rigorous approach by setting a higher age threshold without exceptions for parental approval.
(Inputs from Reuters)
