Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans on Thursday to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, citing the negative impact of platforms like Facebook and TikTok on young users.
Under the proposed legislation, tech giants would be required to enforce the age limit and could face substantial fines if found negligent in preventing underage access.
“This one is for the mums and dads. Social media is doing real harm to kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese stated, emphasizing the government’s commitment to protecting children from harmful online influences.
Australia, at the forefront of efforts to regulate social media, would have one of the strictest age restrictions worldwide. The proposal will be discussed with state and territory leaders this week and is set to be introduced to parliament in late November.
If passed, tech platforms will have a year to develop and implement compliance measures.
Albanese noted, “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,” Albanese said, explaining what he dubbed a “world-leading” reform.
Australia Moves To Ban Social Media Access.
