Australia proposes banning social media use for under 16s

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that his administration will support banning social media use for children under 16, with no exceptions for those who already have accounts on platforms or have parental consent, although "there will be no penalties for users" if the proposed legislation is introduced.

"A minimum age of 16 for social media will make a difference. Social media is harming our children and I am going to put an end to it. I want Australian parents and families to know that the Government has their backs," he stated through his profile on the social network X.

Albanese explained shortly before to the media that the changes will come into effect one year after Parliament approves the measure and that there will be a review of the rules after they start to apply. "This is world-leading legislation and we want to make sure we have done it right," he expressed.

The Australian head of government stated that he has addressed the issue with "thousands" of relatives of minors who have expressed their concern about the safety of minors on the Internet. "I want parents to be able to say: 'Sorry, mate, I can't let you do this because it's against the law,'" he said, although he considered the possibility of some grace period to ensure there are no "unexpected" consequences.

The aim is for platforms to take responsibility for enforcing the age limit (which in many of them is set at 14 years), thus expecting companies to demonstrate that they are "taking reasonable steps to prevent access" to them.