Australia bans social media for kids under 16

Australia has passed a law banning children under 16 from creating social media accounts. 

The legislation, aimed at protecting young users from online harm, mandates age verification by platforms. 

While supported by many parents, critics raise concerns about enforcement, privacy risks, and the law’s overall effectiveness in safeguarding children.

The ban has officially taken effect, according to The New York Times. Here’s what you should know.

Australia bans social media for children under 16

This past week, “hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Australia awoke Wednesday to find their social media accounts logged out or deactivated,” according to The New York Times.

Supporters of the ban say it’s a necessary step and will protect children from the harms of social media. 

Per The New York Times, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that social media is “one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced.”

The ban, Albanese continued to say, is “a profound reform which will continue to reverberate around the world in coming months, to assist not just this generation, but generations to come.”

Australia isn’t the only country taking on a social media ban. According to CNN, Denmark and Malaysia are planning on taking similar measures. Various political leaders and lawmakers in the United States “have also advocated for more restrictive policies.”

Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled about Australia’s social media ban. Two teenagers have sued in order to block the law, “claiming it violates their rights to political expression.” Others have “raised free speech and privacy concerns.”

Some teens are concerned that the ban will impact their social lives. As one Australian teen told the BBC, “Taking away our socials is just taking away how we talk to each other.”

How will Australia ban social media?

According to the BBC, it’s the social media companies—not parents—who will be held accountable for enforcing the ban. If the companies don’t comply, they face a fine of up to $32 million.

The Australian government said that companies should take “reasonable steps” to keep kids off of social media. Those could include:

• Government identification
• Voice or face recognition 
• “Age inference,” which estimates a user’s age by analyzing their online habits

Social media companies have taken similar steps. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, closed teen accounts on December 4. Snapchat said, according to the BBC, that “users can use bank accounts, photo ID or selfies for verification.” 

Will a similar social media ban happen in the United States?

While there hasn’t been word of a country-wide social media ban in the United States, some individual states have taken measures to restrict social media access for teens.

According to CNN, Nebraska’s governor “signed a bill into law this year that requires social media platforms to verify users’ ages and get parental consent before minors can create accounts.”

Texas, Utah, and Louisiana all passed laws this year “requiring app store operators to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for new downloads and updates.”

However, per CNN, “a federal policy in the United States seems unlikely, given Congress’ inability to agree on and pass other social media and youth safety-related legislation.”

But experts expect to see states take “increasing action” to “tackle the ills of social media for young people.”

What do you think? Should there be more extreme social media bans? Or should it fall to the parents to monitor their kids’ social media activity? Let us know in the comments!