Australia to ban social media for kids under 16 to protect mental health

Australia introduces new age limits on social media to protect youth mental health, holding platforms accountable for underage access, as part of broader tech regulations

In a bold step to protect young Australians' mental well-being, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new measure that will restrict children under 16 from using social media. Companies managing social platforms will be required to enforce these age restrictions or face substantial penalties for non-compliance.

 

Prime Minister Albanese voiced strong concerns about the negative impact of social media on young people, stating, “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people.”

 

He clarified that penalties would not apply to parents or young users but to platforms that fail to comply.

 

New age limits part of wider tech regulations

The age restriction is just one aspect of a broader initiative by the Labour government to hold tech giants accountable for online content, which Albanese believes contributes to misinformation and mental health issues. This builds on Australia’s previous actions, including a 2021 law that mandated payments from companies such as Google and Facebook for news content shared on their platforms.

 

The government also recently challenged Elon Musk's X Corp in court over the platform’s failure to remove a video of a terrorist attack in Sydney. Alongside the age restrictions, Australia is considering additional regulations to curb misinformation and disinformation on social media.

 

While officials confirmed discussions with social media companies about the new age limits, specifics about which platforms will be affected, enforcement mechanisms, and potential fines remain unclear. Albanese acknowledged that the effectiveness of these regulations may be limited initially, comparing the age restriction to alcohol laws that have not fully prevented underage drinking.

Europe tightens social media age restrictions

Across Europe, several countries are implementing or considering age-based social media restrictions to promote mental health and safety among young users.

 

In France, new regulations require parental consent for social media users under 15. Proposed measures go further, suggesting a ban on smartphones for children under 13 and stricter usage limits for those under 18 on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

 

The UK is also reviewing potential laws that would restrict smartphone sales to individuals over 16. These efforts align with the European Union’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which allows EU member states to set their own minimum age for digital consent, generally ranging from 13 to 16.

 

Despite these initiatives, enforcing age-based restrictions globally presents significant challenges due to differences in regulation and the technical hurdles of verifying users' ages on digital platforms.

 

(With agency inputs)