Australia to Introduce Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the government plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from using social media, calling it a world-first move aimed at protecting young people from the harmful effects of online platforms.

“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese stated during a press conference. The new law, which will be introduced in Parliament later this year, is expected to come into effect 12 months after it is ratified by lawmakers.

The legislation will apply to major social media platforms, including Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X, and likely Alphabet’s YouTube. Crucially, there will be no exemptions based on parental consent. Albanese emphasized that it will be the responsibility of the platforms to prove they are taking adequate steps to prevent underage users from accessing their services.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland further clarified that the law is one of the strictest approaches globally, with other countries, such as France, proposing similar measures but often allowing parental consent as a workaround.