Australia to introduce legislation to ban social media for kids under 16

We’re uncomfortable with the ban. We think young people are likely to circumvent a ban and our concern is that it really drives the behavior underground and then if things go wrong, young people are less likely to get support from parents and carers because they’re worried about getting in trouble,

Hallan said

Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect young people from online harm,

DIGI managing director Sunita Bose said in a statement

There does need to be enhanced penalties to ensure compliance,

Rowland said

It’s not really a technical viability question, it’s a question of their readiness to do it and will they incur the cost to do it,

Fletcher told Australian Broadcasting Corp

Every company that operates in Australia, whether domiciled here or otherwise, is expected and must comply with Australian law or face the consequences,

she added

The platforms say: ’It's all too hard, we can’t do it, Australia will become a backwater, it won’t possibly work.' But if you have well-drafted legislation and you stick to your guns, you can get the outcomes,

Fletcher added

The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,

Albanese said

Keeping young people safe online is a top priority ... but the proposed ban for teenagers to access digital platforms is a 20th Century response to 21st Century challenges,

said DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose

Michelle Rowlandcommunications Minister

What we are announcing here and what we will legislate will be truly world leading,

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said

The online world is a place where children and young people access information, build social and technical skills, connect with family and friends, learn about the world around them and relax and play,

the letter says

My real fear honestly is that the problem of social media will simply be driven underground,

Mr Tam said

Anthony Albanese-Australia Prime Minister

I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online,

Mr Albanese said

However, what’s missing is a deeper discussion on how we implement protections, otherwise we risk making ourselves feel better like we have taken action, but teens and parents will not find themselves in a better place,

Ms Davis said in a statement

In terms of the services that will be covered, there will be a definition in the Act. But I think it is commonly understood that those definitions of what constitutes social media include ones such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. YouTube would likely fall within that definition as well."

When asked about specific social media platforms, Rowland clarified

There will need to be measures put in place to ensure that reasonable steps are being taken by the platforms to ensure that that age limit is complied with,

she said

The onus won't be on parents or young people,

Albanese said

I don't know about you, but I get things popping up on my system that I don't want to see. Let alone a vulnerable 14-year-old,

he told reporters on Thursday

The idea that somehow you can sort of force the industry to be in a technological place that it isn’t, is probably a bit misunderstood in terms of where the industry is,

Meta’s global head of safety, Antigone Davis, said on Thursday, according to The Guardian

This is world-leading legislation and we want to make sure we’ve got it right,

Mr Albanese said

The current state of age assurance technology... requires a level of personally identified information to be shared,

she said