No more social media for teens in Australia. On November 28, the Australian government approved a law banning social media use for teenagers under the age of 16.
Photo: Freepik
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 aims to “deliver greater protections for young Australians during critical stages of their development.”
In a statement, the Australian government noted that the bill will ensure teens under 16 can still access essential messaging services, online gaming, and platforms related to health and education, such as Headspace, Kids Helpline, Google Classroom, and YouTube. It added that the bill creates a “new definition of age-restricted social media platforms.”
The ban applies to social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Tech companies that fail to comply with the law or allow minors to bypass the restrictions will face fines of up to $49.5 million. However, the government has not yet outlined specific enforcement measures.
A trial phase to test enforcement methods is set to begin in January 2025, with the full ban coming into effect a year later.
“It will contain robust privacy provisions, including requiring platforms to ringfence and destroy any information collected to safeguard the personal information of all Australians,” the statement read.
“The Bill has been designed following extensive feedback from young Australians, parents, experts, industry, community organisations, and state and territory governments.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that the government is aware that social media is “doing social harm.”
“We want Australian children to have a childhood, and we want parents to know the Government is in their corner,” he added.
According to a report by Reuters, Australia was the first country to mandate that social media platforms pay royalties to media outlets for sharing their content.
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