Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to ban children under 16 from social media, citing harm from platforms like Facebook and TikTok. The tech giants will enforce the age limit and face hefty fines if regulators detect underage users. Australia’s proposed laws would be among the world’s strictest measures aimed at children.
The new laws, set to be introduced to parliament in late November, will require social media platforms to demonstrate reasonable steps to prevent access to minors. Platforms like YouTube may be exempt for educational purposes.
Reactions from tech companies vary:
- Meta: Will respect government-introduced age limitations
- Snapchat: Warns banning teenagers could limit mental health support
- TikTok: No comment
Other countries tightening social media access for children include:
- Spain: Bans social media access for under-16s
- Florida, USA: Bans social media accounts for under-14s
- France: Requires age verification and parental consent for under-15s
- China: Restricts minors’ access to Douyin (TikTok) and online gaming
