Australia Unveils Landmark Plan to Ban Children Under 16 from Social Media

Australia : In a groundbreaking move, Australia’s eight states and territories have unanimously backed a national plan to ban children younger than 16 from accessing social media platforms. The proposed legislation, spearheaded by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, will make platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook responsible for enforcing the age limit. The initiative, described by Albanese as a “world-first national approach,” reflects growing concerns over the impact of social media on young Australians’ mental health and safety.

“Social media is doing social harm to our young Australians,” Albanese stated in a press briefing. “The safety and mental health of our young people has to be a priority.”
The proposal, which will be introduced to Parliament within two weeks, comes after months of debate among state leaders over setting an appropriate age restriction. While most states agreed on a 16-year age minimum, Tasmania initially advocated for a limit of 14 years but agreed to the higher age in the interest of achieving nationwide consistency.

The legislation’s age restriction would take effect one year after being passed, allowing social media companies time to develop mechanisms to enforce the limit. While no technical solution has yet been provided, the delayed rollout is intended to give platforms time to address privacy concerns related to age verification processes.
The main opposition party has expressed in-principle support for the new age limit, signaling a smooth path through the Senate.

As Australia prepares to enact this pioneering law, the global community will likely watch closely to see if the policy succeeds in protecting young people from the risks associated with social media and if similar measures might be adopted internationally.