• Australian PM Anthony Albanese plans to introduce legislation banning under-16s from accessing social media.
• The legislation, part of a broader range of measures, will enforce a minimum age limit for social media access.
• The responsibility for enforcing the age limit will fall on the social media platforms, with penalties for non-compliance.
• The legislation, described as "world-leading", follows a trend of increasing regulation of tech giants in Australia.

In a significant development, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media.

This announcement, made on November 7, 2024, is a major step in the global effort to shield children from the potential harms associated with social media use. The proposed legislation, which is expected to be introduced to parliament before the end of 2024, will enforce a minimum age limit for social media access.

Australia's Stricter Controls on Social Media

This move is part of a broader range of measures that Australia is implementing, including trialing an age-verification system to prevent children from accessing social media platforms. These measures are some of the most stringent controls imposed by any country to date. The Prime Minister, in his address to reporters in Canberra, emphasized the potential harm that social media can cause to children.

Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it, he said. He further highlighted the social harm that can be caused and the potential consequences of such harm.

The proposed legislation will not penalize users under 16 who manage to access social media or their parents or guardians. Instead, the responsibility for enforcing the minimum age limit will fall on the social media platforms themselves. Online platforms that fail to restrict access to children will face penalties.

Enforcement and Support for the Legislation

The ban will come into effect 12 months after the legislation passes parliament and will be enforced by the office of the government's Safety Commissioner. The Prime Minister described the legislation as world-leading and expressed his intention to ensure that it is implemented correctly.

He acknowledged that there might be some exclusions and exemptions to prevent unintended consequences but maintained that the legislation is the right course of action.

The Prime Minister and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland have also stated that the results of the ongoing trial of potential age-assurance technology options will inform how the new age limit is imposed. The federal budget for 2024-25 included funding for this trial.

The proposed legislation has received support from the federal opposition Coalition, which had earlier announced its support for a minimum age limit of 16. With the Coalition's support, the governing Labor Party, led by Albanese, will have the requisite votes to pass the legislation through both houses of parliament.

The proposed legislation follows a trend of increasing regulation of tech giants in Australia. Earlier this year, the country introduced a combating misinformation bill, which outlined sweeping powers to fine tech companies for breaching online safety obligations. It also moved to outlaw the sharing of so-called deepfake pornography without consent.

The proposed legislation also comes in the wake of similar measures implemented in other countries. For instance, China has restricted access for minors since 2021, with under-14s not allowed to spend more than 40 minutes a day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.