New Delhi: In what could be a path-breaking move, Australia is set to ban social media for children under 16. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday his government will bring in such a legislation, which he claims will be a world-leading move, reported Reuters.
“Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese told a news conference.
Legislation will be introduced in Parliament this year itself, and the law will come into effect 12 months after it is ratified by lawmakers, Albanese added. There will be no exemptions for users even if they have parental consent.
“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people,” the PM added.
Among the affected platforms will be Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X and Alphabet’s YouTube, said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
There was no immediate reaction from the four social media companies. Some countries have vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, but Australia’s proposed policy is arguably the most stringent.
France last year proposed a ban on social media for those under 15, but users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent. The USA requires technology companies to seek parental consent to access the data of children under 13, leading to most social media platforms banning those under that age from accessing their services.