Australia Weighs Ban on Social Media for Under-16s

Australia is considering a bill to restrict social media access for individuals under 16, aiming to address online safety concerns

The Australian parliament has introduced legislation prohibiting social media use by individuals under the age of 16.

Anthony Albanese, the country’s prime minister, confirmed the plan to restrict children’s use of social media earlier this month. The measure has since been submitted to lawmakers, according to Reuters.

Numerous jurisdictions will closely monitor the proceedings due to the persistent concerns regarding the influence of social media platforms on the development of youthful minds.

The U.K. government initiated a study on Wednesday to examine minors’ use of smartphones and social media. The country’s technology secretary even hinted that he is not ruling out the possibility of a ban akin to the one implemented in Australia.

Australia’s strategy is to encourage platforms to implement age verification, which may involve biometric or government ID verification, to prohibit minors from accessing these services.

For systemic breaches, fines of up to $32 million are proposed, and privacy protections are described as “robust.”

The government acknowledges that some children will devise workarounds. Still, Albanese emphasized that the “landmark reform” is intended to “send a message to social media companies to clean up their act.”