Australia bans social media for those under 16
The Australian government has announced that it will introduce a “world-leading legislation” to ban children younger than 16 years old from using social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the proposed legislation, which will be presented in parliament next Monday, is aimed at reducing the “harm” social networks inflict on Australian children. “This is for mums and dads… Like me, they are also worried about the safety of their children online. “I want Australian families know that government is on their side,” he said. While many details remain to be discussed, the government has said that the ban would not apply to those who are already using social media. The government says that social media platforms will have to prove they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.
Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.
The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.
While most experts agree that social media platforms can harm the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together. Some experts believe that banning social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook will only delay the exposure of young people to these apps.
Prior attempts to restrict access, such as those by the European Union or tech companies, have mostly failed. And questions remain over how implementation would work given there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.
One of Australia’s largest advocacy groups for child rights has criticised the proposed ban as “too blunt an instrument”. In an open letter to the government, sent in October and signed by more than 100 academics, 20 civil society organizations, the Australian Child Rights Taskforce urged Albanese instead to look into imposing “safety” standards on social media platforms. The group also cited UN advice, which stated that “national policy” designed to regulate the online space “should aim to provide children with the chance to engage with the digital world and ensure their safe access to them”. Other grassroots campaigners, however, have been lobbying Australia’s federal government to pass laws that would ban harmful content, misinformation and bullying, as well as other social pressures. A petition from the 36Months Initiative, with over 125,000 signatures argues that children “are not yet ready to navigate social networks safely until they are 16” and that “excessive use of social media is rewiring their young brains during a critical period of psychological development causing an outbreak of mental illness”. Albanese responded that a broader effort to educate children on the risks and benefits of online life would not be sufficient because it assumes an “equal power relationship”.
I don’t think I’m alone in this, but there are things that pop up on my computer I don’t like to see. He told reporters Thursday that he would not even consider a 14-year old vulnerable. These tech companies are extremely powerful. These apps use algorithms to drive users towards certain behaviors. “
