The Australian government has announced its intention to introduce legislation that would ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed this plan on Thursday, highlighting a suite of measures aimed at protecting the physical and mental health of young people, which he described as a "world-leading package" that may become law by the end of next year.
Australia is piloting an age-verification system designed to block children from accessing social media platforms. The proposed measures represent some of the strictest controls introduced by any country so far. "Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it," Albanese stated during a news conference. He emphasized the negative effects of excessive social media usage on young users, especially girls who may be exposed to harmful body image portrayals and boys who could encounter misogynistic content.
The age-verification methods being trialed include biometrics and government identification, innovative approaches that have not been implemented in other countries attempting to regulate social media usage among children. Australia’s legislation, if passed, would set the highest age limit in the world for social media access, and would not provide exemptions for parental consent or pre-existing accounts.
This legislation is expected to be introduced to the Australian parliament later this year, with implementation anticipated 12 months post-ratification. The opposition Liberal Party has indicated its support for the proposal, indicating bipartisan backing. Under the new law, social media companies would bear the responsibility of ensuring that only those over 16 can access their platforms, relieving parents and young people of this burden.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland reinforced the significance of these measures, calling them "truly world leading." The platforms affected by this legislation are expected to include major names like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, Elon Musk's X, and Alphabet’s YouTube. While TikTok declined to comment, other major platforms such as Meta, Alphabet, and X did not respond to requests for remarks on the proposed changes.
The Digital Industry Group, representing major platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, and Google, voiced concerns over the legislation. According to Sunita Bose, Managing Director of DIGI, the proposed restrictions might drive young people towards unregulated areas of the internet while limiting their access to online support networks. Bose argued that a ban is a "20th Century response to 21st Century challenges," advocating instead for "age-appropriate spaces, digital literacy, and measures to protect young people from online harm."
Other countries have taken steps to limit social media access among minors. France, for instance, proposed a ban for those under 15, but allowed parental consent as a way to bypass restrictions. In the United States, technology companies have long been required to obtain parental consent before collecting data on children under 13, leading most platforms to prohibit users below this age. However, Australia’s approach stands out as one of the most comprehensive, aiming to enforce strict age limits and eliminate exemptions based on parental permission or existing accounts.
