World First as Australia Bans Social Media For Under 16s
By Zoltán Kottász, European Conservative.
The new law received cross-party support—and the endorsement of a majority of parents—but its critics sense danger.
Australia has become the first country in the world to ban social media for children under the age of 16. The ban was approved by the Australian parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, November 27th, followed by the senate one day later.
The bill received cross-party backing, with 34 senators endorsing it, and 19 voting against. According to a recent survey, 77% of Australians also support the ban.
Sky News contributor Sam Crosby said the social media age limit is a “world first legislation,” something that the parents of Australia are “very much on board” with. A parliamentary inquiry in 2024 heard evidence from parents of children who had self-harmed due to social media bullying.
Children will be banned from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, but WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for school work, may be exempted from the ban.
Tech giants that do not abide by the law, and do not prevent youngsters from logging in, could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (€30 million).
How the ban will be enforced, is still a big question, and a trial run will start in January of next year, with the ban to take effect in a year’s time.
There were concerns about whether social media giants would have to collect personal data from its users to prove they are over the age of 16, but a last-minute change to the bill specifies that platforms must offer an alternative to making users upload identification documents.
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