Australia Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese Moves to Ban Social Media for Under-16s, Citing Harm to Youth
By: Abdulwasiu Akintunde
Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced plans to ban children under 16 from social media, citing concerns over the negative impact platforms like Facebook and TikTok have on young people.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that, the proposed law would make tech companies responsible for enforcing the age restriction and subject them to substantial fines if underage users are found accessing their platforms.
“This is for parents,” Prime Minister Albanese declared, emphasizing that social media poses “real harm to kids.”
The prime minister further declared that the legislation, to be reviewed by State and territory leaders this week will be introduced to parliament in November, and also it would allow tech companies a year to establish enforcement mechanisms.
Furthermore, the responsibility would lie solely with social media platforms, not parents or children, to block underage users, Albanese stated.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, however, responded that it would comply with any age limits imposed, while also urging the Government to carefully consider how to implement the law.
Meta’s head of safety, Antigone Davis, cautioned that poorly crafted laws might give a false sense of security without genuinely protecting young users.
OTN News gathered that, DIGI, an industry body, warned that a ban could prevent teenagers from accessing crucial mental health resources, comparing it to banning beach access instead of teaching water safety.
Recalls that Australia joined a growing list of countries restricting children’s access to social media, Spain also recently barred under-16s from social platforms, and Florida will prohibit children under 14 from creating accounts in 2024.
France and China have also introduced age verification and usage restrictions for minors, citing similar concerns over online safety and mental health.
However, Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, supporting the move, criticized social media companies for “falling short” in safeguarding young users, promising that firms like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) will face financial penalties if they disregard the regulations.
What's Your Reaction?
