Australia plans sweeping social media ban for children under 16
The Australian government has announced plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from using social media platforms.
In brief: Australia has been aggressive in its attempts to regulate tech giants and protect young social media users. However, a blanket ban on under-16s without exemptions is a first in the West, and if it is enacted, the world will be watching to see how it impacts the digital landscape and more fundamentally, whether it can work at all.
The Australian government has announced plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from using social media platforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the proposal on Thursday, describing it as a world-leading initiative aimed at mitigating the harm social media inflicts on children.
"Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese said during a press conference in Canberra. "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."
The proposed legislation, set to be tabled in parliament next week, would require social media companies to take responsibility for enforcing the age restriction. Prime Minister Albanese said that the onus would be on platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access by underage users. "There'll be no penalties for users," he said.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland clarified that the ban would apply to major social media platforms such as Meta's Instagram and Facebook, ByteDance's TikTok, X, and possibly Alphabet's YouTube. The legislation is expected to come into effect 12 months after passing through parliament.
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