Australia’s government is set to introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced.
Mr Albanese announced the new package of “world-leading” measures that could become law late next year, saying he is “calling time” on social media over fears it is “doing harm” to young people.
“This one is for the mums and dads... They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.
Australia is trialling an age-verification system to assist in blocking children from accessing social media platforms, as part of the range of measures that include some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.
The Prime Minister cited the risks excessive use of social media can have on children’s physical and mental health, in particular the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image, and misogynist content aimed at boys.
"If you're a 14-year-old kid getting this stuff, at a time where you're going through life's changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time and what we're doing is listening and then acting," he said.
A number of countries have already vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, though Australia's policy is one of the most stringent.
No jurisdiction so far has tried using age verification methods like biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off - two of the methods being trialled in Australia.
Australia's other world-first proposals include the highest age limit set by any country, no exemption for children who have parental consent, and no exemption for those who already have accounts.
Legislation will be introduced into the Australian parliament this year, with the laws coming into effect 12 months after being ratified by lawmakers, Mr Albanese said.
The opposition Liberal Party has expressed support for the ban.
"The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access," Mr Albanese said. "The onus won't be on parents or young people."
"What we are announcing here and what we will legislate will be truly world-leading," Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said.
Ms Rowland said platforms impacted would include Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok and Elon Musk's X. YouTube would likely also fall within the scope of the legislation, she added.
The platforms have so far not commented on the proposed ban.
The Digital Industry Group, a representative body which includes Meta, TikTok, X and Alphabet's Google as members, said the measure could encourage young people to explore darker, unregulated parts of the internet while cutting their access to support networks.
"Keeping young people safe online is a top priority...but the proposed ban for teenagers to access digital platforms is a 20th Century response to 21st Century challenges," said DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose.
"Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect young people from online harm," she added.
Some opponents claim that bans only delay young people’s exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces, with an advocacy group for child rights branding the measure as “too blunt an instrument”.
France last year proposed a ban on social media for those under 15, though users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent.
The United States has for decades required technology companies to seek parental consent to access the data of children under 13, leading to most social media platforms banning under-13s from accessing their services.
In the UK in May, a report from MPs said the Government should consider a statutory ban on mobile phones in schools and a total ban on phones for under-16s.
The House of Commons Education Committee said tougher guidance on mobile phones in schools and how to manage children’s screen time at home is needed to better protect young people.
