Australia’s social media ban for children under the age of 16 takes effect from midnight on Wednesday, December 10, making it the first country to enforce such a regulation amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.
The ban includes blocked access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, and mandates 10 social media platforms to block children from using them or face fines of up to A$ 49.5 million.
In a video message that Australian TV networks said would be played in schools this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban aimed to support young Australians and ease the pressure that can come from endless feeds and algorithms.
“Make the most of the school holidays coming up. Rather than spending it scrolling on your phone, start a new sport, learn a new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf. And importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family, face to face,” he said.
Also Read: Meta to remove under-16 users from social media in Australia
While the new law drew criticism from free speech advocates and major technology companies, it was mostly welcomed by parents and child advocates who decry a rise in incidents of social media bullying, sexual harassment, and crimes against children.
The Australian government has said new platforms will be added to the list of banned social media as new products emerge and young users switch to alternatives.
While nine of the banned platforms have affirmed they will comply using age inference – guessing a person’s age from their online activity – or age estimation, which is usually based on a selfie, Elon Musk, CEO of X, said the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.”
The rollout took a year to come into effect, but is being watched closely by countries keen to block children from using technology that hampers mental growth.
Follow us
