Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the government plans to introduce legislation banning social media access for children under 16, a move described as a global first, according to Reuters.
“Social media is harming our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said during a press conference.
The proposed law will be presented to parliament this year and, if passed, will take effect within 12 months. There will be no exceptions for users with parental consent.
“The responsibility will lie with social media platforms to prove they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,” Albanese emphasized. “The burden won’t be on parents or young people.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland mentioned that platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, TikTok from ByteDance, Elon Musk’s X, and potentially Alphabet’s YouTube will be affected by the legislation.
The four companies have not yet responded to requests for comment.
While several countries have introduced measures to limit children’s social media usage, Australia’s policy is among the most restrictive.
Last year, France proposed a ban on social media for children under 15, although parental consent could bypass the restriction.
In the United States, a long-standing rule requires tech companies to get parental consent before accessing the data of children under 13, leading most social media platforms to block those under this age.
