Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will discuss legislation that would set the minimum age for children to use social media to be 16 or older at a press conference in Canberra, Thursday, November 7, 2024. MICK TSIKAS/AAP Hide caption
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Mick Tsikas/AAP
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government on Thursday unveiled what it calls world-leading legislation that would set a 16-year age limit for children to start using social media and make platforms responsible for ensuring compliance.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Social media is having a negative impact on children and I want to take the time to address it.”
The bill is expected to be introduced in Congress during the last two weeks of this year’s session, which begins Nov. 18. The age limit will go into effect 12 months after the bill is passed, Albanese told reporters.
Platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook will need to use the year to consider how they can exclude Australian children under 16.
“I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who, like me, are concerned about their children’s safety online,” Albanese said.
The proposal comes as governments around the world struggle with how to oversee young people’s use of technology such as smartphones and social media.
Social media platforms will be penalized for violating age restrictions, but minor children and their parents will not be penalized.
“The onus is on social media platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. That onus is not on parents or young people,” Albanese said.
Antigone Davis, head of safety at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the company would respect any age restrictions the government wants to put in place.
“But what’s missing is a deeper discussion about how we implement protection. Otherwise we risk making ourselves feel good about taking action, but not enough.” Teens and parents cannot say they are in a better place,” Davis said in a statement.
She added that powerful tools in app stores and operating systems for parents to control which apps their children can use would be a “simple and effective solution.”
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. TikTok declined to comment.
Australian digital industry advocacy group Digital Industry Group Inc. described age restrictions as a “20th century response to a 21st century challenge”.
DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said in a statement: “Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to strike a balance between creating age-appropriate spaces, increasing digital literacy and protecting young people from online harm. We need to take a more proactive approach.”
More than 140 Australian and international academics with expertise in areas related to technology and child welfare published a statement last month opposing social media age restrictions as “too insensitive a measure to effectively address risk”. The letter was signed by Mr. Albanese.
Jackie Harran, director of youth mental health service Reach Out, opposed the ban. He said 73 per cent of young people accessing mental health support across Australia did so through social media.
“We are uncomfortable with the ban. We believe young people are likely to circumvent the ban, but our concern is that it may actually lead to action.” This means that if the situation worsens, young people are likely to be unable to receive support from their parents or carers because they are worried about getting into trouble.” said.
Child psychologist Philip Tam said setting the minimum age at 12 or 13 would have been more enforceable.
“Honestly, my real fear is that the social media problem will just be driven underground,” Tam said.
Associate Professor Faith Gordon, a lawyer at the Australian National University, worried that pulling children off the platform could create pressure within families.
Mr Albanese said exclusions and exemptions would be made in situations such as where there is a need for continued access to educational services.
However, children under 16 do not have the right to access social media without parental consent.
Earlier this year, the government began testing age-restriction technology. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the online compliance watchdog, will use the results of this trial to provide guidance on what reasonable steps platforms can take.
Communications Minister Michel Rolland said the year-long implementation would ensure age restrictions were implemented in a “very real way”.
“Penalties need to be strengthened to ensure compliance,” Rowland said.
“All businesses operating in Australia, whether based in Australia or not, are expected to comply with Australian law and must face the consequences of failing to do so.” she added.
The main opposition parties have expressed support in principle for the age limit of 16 years.
Opposition MP Paul Fletcher said platforms already had the technology to enforce such age restrictions.
Mr Fletcher told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “This is not really a question of technical feasibility, but of whether we are ready to do it and whether it will cost us to do it. It’s a problem,” he said.
“The platforms are saying, ‘It’s going to be very difficult, we can’t do it, Australia is going to be remote, it’s not going to work.'” But if you write a well-written bill and stick to your beliefs, We can get results,” Fletcher added.
