Australia proposes bill to ban social media for children under 16

AUSTRALIA: Australia’s centre-left government introduced a Bill in parliament on Thursday (21 November), which aims to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media.

The Bill also proposes imposing fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million) on social media platforms for systemic breaches of the proposed regulations.

The government’s move is a significant step towards introducing one of the strictest controls on social media use by children globally.

Under the new Bill, Australia plans to trial an age-verification system, which may involve biometrics or government-issued identification to enforce the social media age cut-off.

This is seen as one of the most stringent measures yet imposed by any country.

Australia’s proposal sets the highest age limit for social media access globally.

There will be no exemptions for parental consent, nor for pre-existing accounts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a “landmark reform,” acknowledging that some children might attempt to circumvent the regulations, but stating that the government’s goal is to send a clear message to social media companies to address the harms associated with their platforms.

When it comes to protecting our kids we have to do more than wring our hands. We need to take action. pic.twitter.com/nYzgviTOjm

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 21, 2024

Labor Government Highlights Risks of Social Media on Children’s Mental and Physical Health

The opposition Liberal party has expressed support for the Bill, though some independents and members of the Green party are calling for further clarification on the law.

The legislation would have a significant impact on major platforms, including Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X, and Snapchat.

However, Albanese clarified that the legislation would not block children from all online activities.

Children would still have access to messaging, online gaming, and services related to health and education, including platforms such as Google Classroom, YouTube, and the youth mental health support platform, Headspace.

The Labor government has emphasised concerns over the impact of excessive social media use on the physical and mental health of children, particularly the risks posed to young girls by harmful body image depictions and misogynistic content targeting boys.

While some countries, such as France, have proposed similar bans, Australia’s policy is the most stringent.

Last year, France suggested banning social media for those under 15, though parental consent was still allowed.

In the United States, technology companies have long been required to seek parental consent for children under the age of 13.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland highlighted the harms posed by social media, revealing that almost two-thirds of 14 to 17-year-old Australians had been exposed to harmful online content, including drug abuse, suicide, and self-harm.

The Bill places the onus on social media platforms, rather than parents or children, to ensure compliance with age-verification measures.

The proposed legislation also includes robust privacy protections, requiring platforms to destroy any information collected in the process of verifying users’ ages, in order to safeguard personal data.

“Social media has a social responsibility,” Rowland said.

“That’s why we are making big changes to hold platforms accountable for user safety.”