Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that his government will introduce new legislation to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, citing concerns over the mental health impact of platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
“Social media is harming our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Mr Albanese told reporters at a press conference on Thursday. “I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online.”
The government’s proposal will make it illegal for children under 16 to use social media unless they meet specific age verification criteria. While social media platforms will be responsible for enforcing the restrictions, there will be no penalties for underage users who manage to bypass the system.
Mr Albanese compared the social media ban to other age-related restrictions in Australia, such as the legal drinking age. “We have laws like the ones that prevent people under 18 from buying alcohol. These laws set the parameters for our society and help ensure the right outcomes,” he said.
The legislation will be presented at Friday's upcoming national cabinet meeting, where the government expects state leaders to support the proposal. If passed, the ban will come into effect 12 months after Parliament approves the legislation and will apply universally, meaning that children already using social media will also be subject to the ban.
According to surveys, nearly 97% of Australian youth use social media, often across multiple platforms, making the potential impact of the legislation significant.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland acknowledged that social media allows young people to "stay connected" but argued that the harms outweigh the benefits. “When it comes to protecting children from the risks of harmful content and addictive behaviours associated with social media, we are on your side,” she said. “The platforms have a social responsibility but are falling short.”
The government has consulted widely with youth organisations, experts, academics, and state and territory leaders to develop the policy. However, youth advocates have raised concerns that the ban could isolate vulnerable young people who rely on social media for social connections.
“The ban is pretty much the opposite of what we would recommend,” said Amelia Johns, an associate professor of digital media at the University of Technology Sydney. “Everyone is living in social media. For many young people, opting out isn’t an option, and I do wonder about the mental health consequences of a complete blanket ban.”
Further concerns have been raised about how effective the ban's enforcement could be, especially with the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) that allow users to hide their location and bypass digital restrictions. A 2022 age verification trial in France found that almost half of teenagers could circumvent restrictions using VPNs.
While the government acknowledges that the ban may not be entirely effective, Minister Rowland emphasized that it still has the potential to make a significant difference. “We can make a difference,” she said, adding that the government would introduce regulatory guidelines to define what constitutes “reasonable steps” for social media platforms to prevent underage access.
The proposed legislation has sparked intense debate, with both support and opposition from various sectors, as the government seeks to balance child protection with the realities of modern digital life.