Australia plans social media ban for under-16s

Australia’s government says it will introduce world-first legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “harm” social media was inflicting on Australian children.

“This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.

While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to young people already on social media.

There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents, and the government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.

Albanese also clarified that there will be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.

The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.

Some experts have criticised social media bans as ineffective, saying that they only delay young people’s exposure to social media, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces.

Previous attempts to enforce bans, including by the European Union, have largely failed or found the implementation challenging given that there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.