Key Points
- The Australian government will legislate a ban on social media for children under 16 to combat mental and physical health risks for youth.
- An age-verification system is being trialed to help enforce the ban, with full implementation expected by late next year.
- Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube will be required to verify user age and block access for children under 16.
- Australia’s policy builds on similar efforts in France and the United States but enforces stricter age limits without parental opt-outs.
According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australia is set to implement a pioneering ban on social media for children under 16. As part of a robust strategy to protect young Australians from the adverse effects of social media, the government is trialing an age-verification system to enforce this policy, which could take effect as early as late next year.
“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese declared in a press conference. He emphasized the negative physical and mental health implications of social media, citing particular risks to young girls’ body image and the prevalence of misogynistic content that can influence boys. “If you’re a 14-year-old kid getting this stuff while going through life’s changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time. What we’re doing is listening and then acting,” he explained.
The legislation, to be introduced this year, will make Australia one of the strictest nations regarding youth access to social media. Once passed, the law would take effect a year after ratification, and the opposition Liberal Party has already expressed support for the move.
Importantly, there will be no exceptions in the law for children with parental consent or those with social media accounts. Instead, social media companies will be responsible for proving they are taking effective measures to block access for users under 16. “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,” said Albanese, clarifying that the burden will not fall on parents or young people.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted that major platforms like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), and Google’s YouTube would likely need to comply with the legislation. These platforms have not responded to requests for comment so far.
Several countries have taken steps to restrict youth access to social media. For example, France proposed a ban on social media for users under 15 last year, although exemptions were available with parental consent. In the United States, longstanding regulations require technology companies to obtain parental consent to access data of children under 13, resulting in most social media platforms barring access for this age group.
Australia’s proposed legislation aims to be even more comprehensive, potentially setting a new global standard for youth protection in the digital space.
