“Are extremely worried”
Country wants to ban social media for children
Updated on November 7, 2024 – 9:06 a.mReading time: 2 min.
Australia’s Prime Minister Albanese: “Sorry, buddy, but I can’t allow you to do that.” (Source: IMAGO/MICK TSIKAS)
Australia wants to restrict the use of social media for children and young people with a new law. How exactly this will work is not yet clear.
Australia wants to ban the use of online networks for children under 16 by law. “This is for the moms and dads. Social media is doing real harm to children and I’m putting an end to it,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Thursday. The responsibility for ensuring the minimum age of users will fall on the tech giants and internet platforms, but not on parents concerned about the safety of their children online, Albanese continued.
The responsibility “will not lie with the parents or the young people,” explained the head of government. “There will be no penalties for users.” New legislation to this effect will be presented to heads of state and territory this week and introduced into parliament at the end of November.
Albanese had previously considered an age limit for online networks, but this was the first time he had given a specific age. Previous proposals received broad, bipartisan support in Australia.
“This legislation is unique in the world,” said Albanese, praising the legislative project, “and we want to make sure it works.” The Australian government is still wrestling with the exact legal and technological requirements for enforcing the measure. “We assume that there will of course be some exceptions so that there are no undesirable side effects. But we are convinced that this is absolutely the right approach.”
Some social media already have an access restriction of 14 years, but such digital barriers are easy to circumvent, for example by creating fake accounts, i.e. profiles with false data. It is not yet clear which platforms will be affected by the ban. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are “very likely” to be included, according to ABC broadcaster.
Prime Minister Albanese emphasized that there is great concern for the mental health of children and young people. “I have spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Like me, they are extremely concerned about the safety of our children online.” That’s why he wants to use the new law to create a basis for legal guardians so that they can say to their wards in the future: “Sorry, buddy, but I can’t allow you to do that because it’s forbidden.”
