Australia plans to introduce legislation later this year to ban children from using social media, citing concerns about the impact on their physical and mental health. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the government will begin an age verification trial in the coming months as part of its efforts to safeguard children from the risks posed by social media.
Albanese emphasized the importance of children engaging in real-world activities, saying, “I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields, swimming pools, and tennis courts. We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm.”
While the specific age limits for the ban have not been confirmed, Albanese mentioned that the government is considering restrictions for children between the ages of 14 and 16. He expressed concern over the effects of cyberbullying on children’s mental health and the easy access to harmful content on social media platforms.
This announcement follows a July request by Australia’s eSafety regulator, which urged internet companies to create enforceable codes to prevent children from accessing inappropriate material, such as pornography. If these companies fail to comply, a government-imposed code may be introduced.
Many countries have faced challenges in restricting minors’ access to social media, due to legal hurdles and technologies like virtual private networks (VPNs), which can obscure users’ locations. Albanese acknowledged the complexity of the issue, saying, “This is a global issue that governments around the world are trying to address … we know it’s not simple and it’s not easy, otherwise governments would have acted sooner.”
