Australia is introducing a new law that could soon ban children under 16 from using social media. The government wants to protect kids from harmful content online and make social media companies responsible for keeping young people safe.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland introduced this law in Parliament, saying that social media platforms will need to take steps to verify users’ ages and make sure that no one under 16 can access age-restricted sites. The government believes this will help protect kids from harmful online content like drug abuse, self-harm, and even suicide, which many teenagers are already exposed to.
A huge problem: almost two-thirds of Australian teens aged 14 to 17 have already seen harmful content online. The government says that it’s time to step in and make sure social media platforms are doing more to stop this from happening. If companies fail to stop kids from accessing these platforms, they could face massive fines—up to AU$50 million (US$32.5 million).
Social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, X, and Reddit will be impacted by this law, but the bill doesn’t mention any specific platform by name. It will apply to all sites that allow age-restricted access.
The law is getting support from both the Australian Labor Party and the opposition Liberals. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken out in favor of the bill, saying he wants to get children “off their phones and on the footy field.” He also mentioned that parents are concerned about the negative effects social media is having on their children’s mental and physical health.
If the bill passes, there will be no exceptions for kids to use social media with parental permission or if they already have accounts. Social media platforms will have a year to put these new rules in place.
“This is a landmark reform,” said Albanese. “We know some kids will try to find ways around it, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act.”
However, not everyone agrees with this bill. Some people argue that it takes away young people’s right to express themselves online and raises concerns about privacy. Even Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), has criticized the bill, calling it a way to control access to the internet in Australia.
Other countries, like China, France, Spain, and even some U.S. states, have passed similar laws to restrict social media use for minors. Now, Australia is joining the list of nations aiming to control how young people interact with social media.
So, will this bill pass? And what will it mean for social media use in Australia? Stay tuned, because if it goes through, it could change the way children use the internet forever.
