Will Australia Ban Social Media for Kids Under 16?
Movieguide® Contributor
Australia’s youngsters may have to say goodbye to social media if a propsed ban passes this year.
“On Thursday, Nov. 7, prime minister Anthony Albanese announced the ‘world-leading’ legislation during a news conference, shared in full by Australia’s ABC News,” PEOPLE reported Nov. 7. “According to Albanese, it would feature an age limit of 16 for kids to use social media platforms, with government officials saying it would apply to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).”
Parliament will receive the legislation proposal in its last two sessions this year, which begin on Nov. 18. If passed, the law will not go into effect for 12 months. There will be a review after its commencement.
“This one’s for the mums and dads,” Albanese said. “Social media is doing harm to our kids And I’m calling time on it.”
“I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They like me are worried sick about the safety of our kids online,” he said. “And I want Australian parents and families to know that the government has your back. I want parents to be able to say, ‘Sorry mate, that’s against the law for me to get you to do this.'”
Albanese says the government doesn’t anticipate the legislation will “fix” everything, but it will set some boundaries for Australian society.
The legislation puts the responsibility on social media companies to keep kids off of its platform, rather than parents. There will be no exemptions for kids who have parental consent. Users will not face penalties, and the eSafety Commissioner “will provide oversight and enforcement.” The legislation will still allow for ways for children to have online educational services.
“During the news conference, Albanese cited algorithms that ‘drive people towards certain behavior,’ including young women seeing ‘images of particular body shapes’ and young men being exposed to ‘misogynistic material,'” PEOPLE said.
“If you’re a 14-year-old kid getting this stuff at a time when you’re going through life’s changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time,” he said. “And what we’re doing is listening and then acting.”
The proposal faces backlash from some groups, who have said the legislation is “too blunt an instrument.”
The Australian Child Rights Taskforce said policies “should be aimed at providing children with the opportunity to benefit from engaging with the digital environment and ensuring their safe access to it.”
Reuters reported, “The Digital Industry Group, a representative body which includes Meta, TikTok, X and Alphabet’s Google as members, said the measure could encourage young people to explore darker, unregulated parts of the internet while cutting their access to support networks.
“Keeping young people safe online is a top priority … but the proposed ban for teenagers to access digital platforms is a 20th Century response to 21st Century challenges,” said the group’s Managing Director Sunita Bose. “Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect young people from online harm.”
