Australia wants to ban under-16s from using social networks
The use of social networks by teenagers and their consequences for their mental health has sparked heated debate in recent years in different parts of the world. In this sense, the first government to take strict measures to restrict the use of social networks among young people was the Australian government, as the southern state wants to approve a law prohibiting the use of social networks by those under 16 years of age.
As we can read in El Periodico, the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese VX, recently announced that the council he chairs has introduced a bill that would ban the use of social networks for all teenagers under the age of 16.
This bill will reach Parliament in the next few weeks and will come into force 12 months after the approval of the said body.
This regulation states that the ban on the use of social networks such as Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube will not affect teenagers under the age of 16 who are already registered on one of these platforms or those who have obtained their parents’ consent. Likewise, this legislation will not impose sanctions on network users or their parents, as the responsibility for ensuring that the age limit is met will be the responsibility of the social network owners.
In this sense, the Australian eSafety Commission confirmed that it will be responsible for publishing regulations so that social media platforms themselves can put in place “reasonable measures” to restrict access to minors under the age of 16.
In this regard, Michelle Rowland, the Australian government's Minister for Communications, stated that she hopes this measure will be "world-leading, as the well-being of children is a collective responsibility" and explained that once this legislation is passed and approved, social networks must demonstrate that they "take measures to prevent access" to minors under the age of 16 on their platforms.