The Australian government has proposed legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media from next year.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation aims to protect minors from the harmful effects of social media.
“Social media is harming our children and I am asking for it to stop,” she said. “I have spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and they are all very concerned about their children's safety online. “And I want Australian parents and families to know the government has their back.”
Albanese said the world-leading legislation would be implemented 12 months after it is passed, and that social media platforms, not parents or their children, have the responsibility to prevent access.
“The age proposed by the government is 16 years. That decision was made in cabinet on Monday, and that proposal will be presented at the national cabinet meeting that I will convene online, virtually tomorrow morning.
“The onus would be on social media platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The responsibility will not fall on parents or young people,” he said.
Albanese said that while users will not be penalized, the E-Safety Commissioner, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, will be responsible for oversight and enforcement.
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“The legislation would take effect 12 months after its approval. There will be a review of the legislation after it comes into force. This is world-leading legislation; “We want to make sure it is done right,” he added.
While Australia's age restriction on social media use is considered the highest in the world, countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Spain have also limited the use of social media platforms such as X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram by children.
Prohibition, for the safety of children- Minister
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said while social media offers opportunities for young people to connect, its content is sometimes harmful and could lead to addictive behaviour.
Rowland said the Australian government decided on the age limit after careful consideration and consultation with parents, advocacy groups, experts and other stakeholders.
“We know that social media offers many benefits to Australians, including young people, as a way to stay connected and find their tribe and ensure that young people who would otherwise be isolated by geography or other factors have that connection, but also We know that it brings a lot of damage,” he said.
The Minister of Communications stated that social media platforms are responsible for protecting minors from the dangers of using social media, however, these platforms do not fulfill their functions.
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In September, Australia proposed legislation to fine social media platforms up to 5 percent of their revenue for enabling misinformation and forced tech platforms to establish internal regulations to prevent the spread of misinformation.
However, Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, opposed the move and called the Australian government “fascist.”