Australia has decided to create a law prohibiting the use of social networking services (SNS) by children under 16 years old. According to Australia’s AAP news agency on the 7th local time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at a press conference that the bill to ban SNS use for children under 16 would be submitted to the Parliament within the month.
He emphasized that excessive social media use poses a risk to the physical and mental health of children, stating, “SNS is harming our children.” He particularly highlighted the dangers posed to female students by misogynistic content targeting male students, saying, “If children going through life’s changes and maturing are exposed to such content, it could be a very challenging period.”
The Australian government explained that the new law would apply without exception even to children with parental consent, and that the responsibility for preventing children’s access to SNS would lie with the SNS platform companies. The plan is to ensure appropriate measures are in place to prevent children from using SNS, with substantial fines imposed on companies that fail to implement these measures.
The Australian government will discuss this topic at the National Leaders’ meeting with state premiers, which will be held online on the 8th. After it’s submitted to the Parliament by the end of the month, the law is expected to come into effect 12 months later. During this grace period, each SNS platform must prepare measures to enforce the ban on children’s use.
Michelle Rowland, Australia’s Minister for Communications, stated that this law would become the world’s most stringent SNS regulation, and platforms that would be included under this law are expected to be Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
Local media reported that since the opposition also supports the bill, its passage is expected to be smooth, although exceptions may be discussed for platforms like YouTube, which can be beneficial for educational purposes.