SYDNEY, (TDI): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that his government will introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban social media use for children under the age of 16, as part of efforts to protect the mental health of young people.
Speaking at a news conference, Albanese stated, “Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it.”
The Prime Minister explained that the legislation would be introduced later this month, with the new laws expected to come into effect 12 months after being passed by Parliament.
Under the proposed rules, social media companies will be required to prevent users under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms. Failure to comply could result in fines for the companies involved.
Albanese stressed that the responsibility would lie with the social media platforms themselves, not with parents or children.
“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. There’ll be no penalties for users,” he explained.
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This move is part of a broader set of measures by the center-left Labor government to regulate the technology industry.
Albanese has long argued that tech giants are contributing to misinformation and mental health issues, particularly among young people.
Australia has a history of challenging major tech companies, including a 2021 initiative that forced Facebook and Google to pay for news content.
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More recently, the government took legal action against Elon Musk’s X Corp. (formerly Twitter) for failing to remove a video of a terrorist attack in Sydney.
Albanese acknowledged that the new laws might not resolve the issue immediately, noting that social change takes time. “I don’t expect these laws to be fully effective overnight,” he said.
Australia’s Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, confirmed that platforms affected by the ban would include Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and X.
She added that Alphabet’s YouTube would likely also be covered by the legislation.
Although officials have stated that they have engaged with social media companies regarding the age restrictions, they did not specify which platforms would be affected, how the ban would be enforced, or what penalties companies might face for non-compliance.
The proposed social media ban for children under 16 marks a significant step in the Australian government’s ongoing efforts to protect young people from the harmful effects of social media while holding tech companies accountable for their role in shaping public discourse and mental health.
