The Australian government plans to introduce a law that would prevent children under 16 from using social media.
On Thursday, November 7, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the “world-leading” legislation during a press conference, which was reported in full by Australia’s ABC News. According to Albanese, it would include an age limit of 16 for children to use social media platforms, and government officials say this would apply to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
The law will be presented to parliament during the last two weeks of this year’s session, which begins on November 18. The age limit would come into effect 12 months after the law is passed and will be revised after its commencement.
“This is for moms and dads,” Albanese said in announcing the legislation. “Social media is harming our children and I’m calling for time on that.”
“I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They, like me, are concerned about the safety of our children online. And I want Australian parents and families to know that the government has got your back. I want parents to be able to say: ‘ Sorry my friend, it’s against the law to make you do this.’ ”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2024.
Gaye Gerard-Pool/Getty
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Albanese added that the government does not expect that the changes it will bring will “immediately fix everything”, but that they will “set the parameters for our society”.
During the press conference, Albanese added that social media platforms – not children or parents – would be responsible for “demonstrating that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access”. He shared that there would be “no penalties for users” and that the Australian e-Security Commissioner would “provide oversight and enforcement.”
The law “would not allow exceptions” if children have parental consent, Albanese added. He also said he wants to make sure kids still have access to things like educational services online.
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During the press conference, Albanese cited algorithms that “force people to behave in certain ways,” including young women who see “images of certain body shapes” and young men who are exposed to “misogynistic material.”
“If you’re a 14-year-old getting these things at a time when you’re going through life changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time,” he said. “And what we do is listen and then act.”
According to Reuters, this follows a ban proposed in France last year for children under 15, which users could avoid with parental consent.
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According to the Associated Press, more than 140 Australian and international academics with expertise in technology and child welfare signed an open letter to Albanese in October opposing the age limit on social media, calling it “too crude an instrument to effectively address risk”.
Meanwhile, Jackie Hallan, director of youth mental health service ReachOut, told the outlet that 73% of young people across Australia had accessed mental health support through social media, sharing her fears that a ban would “drive such behavior underground”. . “Then, if things go wrong, young people are less likely to get support from their parents and carers because they’re worried about getting into trouble,” Hallan said.
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Antigone Davis, head of security at Meta, told the AP that the company will respect the age restrictions proposed in the country. “However, what is missing is a deeper discussion about how we implement protection, otherwise we risk feeling better, as if we have done something, but teenagers and parents will not find themselves in a better place,” she said in a statement, adding that tools for parents to control their children’s applications was a “simple and effective solution”.
Spokespeople for X, Meta and TikTok did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Thursday, Nov. 7.
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Source: HIS Education