Australia looking to ban under 16s from social media

The Australian government is planning to ban under 16s from using social media.

The Australian government is planning to ban children under the age of 16 from social media.

The country’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has laid out “world-leading” legislation he hopes to introduce, which will be tabled in parliament next week.

He said: “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.”

Many of the laws’ details haven’t been debated yet, but the goal is to reduce the “harm” social media is causing to children.

If the legislation is passed, it would come into effect 12 months later, while there will need to be a review after it has been established.

The government noted the ban wouldn’t apply to those who are already on social media, while there will be no exemptions for those under 16 whose parents give them permission.

Social media platforms will be told to prove they are taking reasonable steps to stop children access their sites.

Albanese noted that users would not face penalties, while the eSafety Commissioner – Australia’s online regulator – will be tasked with enforcing the new rules.

The Australian Child Rights Taskforce has hit out at the proposal though, claiming a ban would be “too blunt an instrument”.

The organisation sent a letter to the government last month, with over 100 academics and 20 civil society organisations co-signing as they called on the PM to look into “safety standards” for platforms rather than an outright ban.