Australia plans to ban the use of social media under the age

According to Reuters on the 7th, Australian Prime Minister Albanese announced that the government will legislate to prohibit children and adolescents under the age of 16 from using social media. Once approved, it may take effect by the end of 2025. According to the plan, technology companies will be responsible for enforcing age restrictions, not parents or children. Albanese said, "This policy will put Australia at the forefront of the world in this field

According to reports, under relevant laws, even minors under the age of 16 who have obtained parental consent or are already using social media cannot obtain "exemptions" and still cannot use social media platforms. Albanese said at a press conference, "My social media often pops up content that I don't want to see, let alone a 14-year-old child who is easily influenced by negative information. They are in a period of significant physical and psychological changes. What parents need to do is listen and provide appropriate assistance." He also added that the relevant bill will be submitted to local agency heads this week and submitted to parliament at the end of November. The new law will take effect 12 months after it is passed. In addition, relevant social media platforms need to make adjustments before the new law takes effect to ensure smooth implementation. Once violated, the platform will face huge fines. Technology companies can use facial recognition or age verification to evade users under the age of 16.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland acknowledges that social media has indeed brought many benefits to young people, but its harm cannot be ignored. Roland said, "I want to say to parents that the government is on your side in protecting children from harm caused by social media content or addictive behavior." The report stated that social platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube will be affected by the ban. However, according to Albanese, the ban is not a "one size fits all" measure, and there will be some exceptions and exemptions to ensure that unexpected consequences do not arise. The report states that the upcoming legislation has received support from the opposition party in Australia. Meta, a company owned by Facebook and Instagram, was surprised by the Australian government's decision and launched its strongest public protest to date. Meta suggests that social platforms should not bear the primary responsibility of verifying user age, and app stores are more suitable for doing so.

According to reports, many countries have promised to restrict children's use of social media through legislation, but Australia's policy is one of the strictest. In 2023, France proposed to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media, but users can avoid the ban with parental consent.