CANBERRA, Australia – Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new drive on Thursday to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, citing the “real harm” caused by platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
In a move to protect young users, the government will hold tech giants responsible for enforcing the age restrictions, threatening hefty fines if underage users are found to be accessing their platforms.
“This one is for the mums and dads,” Albanese declared outside parliament, highlighting parents’ concerns over children’s online safety. “Social media is doing real harm to kids, and I’m calling time on it.”
Under the proposed laws, which are among the strictest globally, social media platforms will be tasked with developing effective systems to verify users’ ages and prevent under-16s from joining.
The government expects companies to shoulder the responsibility entirely, eliminating any onus on parents or children to navigate these controls.
Once the bill is presented to parliament next month, tech firms will have a one-year grace period to implement the changes.
The announcement comes amid growing global scrutiny of social media’s role in young people’s mental health.
Social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, have responded cautiously.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, pledged to “respect any age limitations,” although its Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, urged Australia to carefully consider how the laws will be implemented.
Industry group DIGI also raised concerns that such measures might limit teenagers’ access to mental health support, comparing it to restricting beach access for youth instead of teaching them to swim.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland joined Albanese, emphasizing the government’s frustration with tech companies’ perceived failings in addressing safety concerns.
“Social media companies have been put on notice. They need to ensure their practices are safer,” Rowland said, suggesting that fines upwards of USD 600,000 would be inadequate for companies with billions in revenue.
Experts, however, question the feasibility of strict age enforcement, as University of Melbourne researcher Toby Murray warned of challenges in accurately verifying ages without compromising user privacy.
Additional provisions for educational content platforms like YouTube are anticipated, balancing the needs of teens who may rely on such sites for school resources.
Australia’s proposed restrictions align with recent efforts to increase accountability among tech firms, including a bill introduced earlier this year targeting online misinformation and a ban on unauthorized sharing of “deepfake” content.
Yet enforcement remains an ongoing struggle, with high-profile conflicts like the Australian government’s attempt to regulate Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), which prompted Musk to label the government’s actions as “fascist.”
Australia joins France in pioneering regulatory reforms; in 2023, France introduced age-verification laws requiring parental consent for under-15 social media users.
In a move to protect young users, the government will hold tech giants responsible for enforcing the age restrictions, threatening hefty fines if underage users are found to be accessing their platforms.
“This one is for the mums and dads,” Albanese declared outside parliament, highlighting parents’ concerns over children’s online safety. “Social media is doing real harm to kids, and I’m calling time on it.”
Under the proposed laws, which are among the strictest globally, social media platforms will be tasked with developing effective systems to verify users’ ages and prevent under-16s from joining.
The government expects companies to shoulder the responsibility entirely, eliminating any onus on parents or children to navigate these controls.
Once the bill is presented to parliament next month, tech firms will have a one-year grace period to implement the changes.
The announcement comes amid growing global scrutiny of social media’s role in young people’s mental health.
Social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, have responded cautiously.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, pledged to “respect any age limitations,” although its Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, urged Australia to carefully consider how the laws will be implemented.
Industry group DIGI also raised concerns that such measures might limit teenagers’ access to mental health support, comparing it to restricting beach access for youth instead of teaching them to swim.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland joined Albanese, emphasizing the government’s frustration with tech companies’ perceived failings in addressing safety concerns.
“Social media companies have been put on notice. They need to ensure their practices are safer,” Rowland said, suggesting that fines upwards of USD 600,000 would be inadequate for companies with billions in revenue.
Experts, however, question the feasibility of strict age enforcement, as University of Melbourne researcher Toby Murray warned of challenges in accurately verifying ages without compromising user privacy.
Additional provisions for educational content platforms like YouTube are anticipated, balancing the needs of teens who may rely on such sites for school resources.
Australia’s proposed restrictions align with recent efforts to increase accountability among tech firms, including a bill introduced earlier this year targeting online misinformation and a ban on unauthorized sharing of “deepfake” content.
Yet enforcement remains an ongoing struggle, with high-profile conflicts like the Australian government’s attempt to regulate Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), which prompted Musk to label the government’s actions as “fascist.”
Australia joins France in pioneering regulatory reforms; in 2023, France introduced age-verification laws requiring parental consent for under-15 social media users.
