Australia to Enforce Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Positioning itself as a global leader in digital reform, Australia aims to implement one of the strictest social media age restrictions worldwide. “This is for parents everywhere. Social media is harming our kids, and it’s time to step up,” Albanese declared in a statement outside parliament.

The new legislation will first be reviewed by state and territory leaders before being introduced to parliament in late November. If approved, platforms would have one year to establish compliance measures. Albanese emphasized that the responsibility would rest solely on tech companies, not on parents or young users, to prevent underage access to these platforms.

Meta, Facebook, and Instagram’s parent company expressed a willingness to comply with any age restrictions the government may enforce. However, Meta’s head of safety, Antigone Davis, cautioned that such restrictions should be carefully crafted to avoid unintentional negative impacts on teens and their families.

Similarly, DIGI, an industry association, warned that banning access could limit teenagers’ ability to receive mental health support. A spokesperson for DIGI compared the proposal to banning swimming at beaches due to risk, instead of teaching water safety.