Australia announces ban on social media for kids under 16

In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at safeguarding the mental health of Australian youth, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that children under the age of 16 will be prohibited from accessing social media platforms, as per reports.

During a press briefing in Canberra, Albanese declared, "Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it." This sweeping legislation will hold social media companies accountable for enforcing these new age restrictions, or face hefty fines.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the responsibility for compliance will not rest on parents or children, but rather on the tech firms themselves.

This measure is part of a broader strategy by Albanese's center-left Labor government to tackle the growing influence of technology giants, which have been linked to a rise in misinformation and mental health issues among young people.

While the government has engaged with social media companies to discuss the impending regulations, specifics on which platforms will be affected remain unclear.

Internationally, Australia’s move aligns with a growing trend among European nations that are also exploring age-based restrictions to protect the mental health and safety of young users.

In France, for instance, users under 15 now require parental consent, while some proposals seek to bar children under 13 from smartphones altogether. The UK is contemplating regulations that would restrict smartphone sales to those over 16, and the Netherlands has banned smartphone use in primary schools to combat distractions.

Read more: Australia plans to ban social media for kids among health concerns