Canberra [Australia], December 10 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday that a ban on social media for children under 16 is now in place in Australia, making the country the first to implement such a measure.
Highlighting the challenges faced by parents and children from the impact of social media, Albanese said the change gives parents and kids greater peace of mind and allows young people to experience childhood without exposure to algorithms, endless feeds and pressures previous generations did not face. “Across Australia, those under 16 are starting their day a little differently—without social media. It’s a big change and we’re the first country in the world to give it a crack. But it really matters,” he said. “Putting the responsibility right where it belongs—on the social media giants, not on parents,” Albanese added. “By banning social media for those under 16, we’re giving children a childhood and parents more peace of mind.”
In a further message he said the move returns power to families from big tech companies and asserts the right of kids to be kids while giving parents greater reassurance.
According to UNICEF Australia, from December 10 anyone under 16 in Australia will not be able to keep or create accounts on social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and others. The rule does not criminalise young people or their families but places the onus on social media companies to prevent under-16s from creating accounts or face substantial fines—reported to be up to about $50 million.
The measure follows the passage of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 on November 28 last year, which sets a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts on certain social platforms and does not allow parental consent to override the limit.
UNICEF Australia said the ban aims to protect children’s and teens’ mental health and wellbeing from risks including cyberbullying, harmful content and online predators, which it says outweigh the potential benefits. Services such as Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline, Google Classroom and YouTube Kids are not expected to be included in the ban. (ANI)
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