Australia has implemented a world-first ban on major social media platforms for users under 16, citing the need to protect children from online harms, a move that has drawn strong reactions from parents, teens, and tech companies alike.
In a world-first move, Australia has banned users under 16 from major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, launching a national crackdown to protect children from “predatory algorithms.” The law, effective this week, subjects popular apps and websites to up to US$33 million fines if they fail to purge Australian users younger than 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the unprecedented measure, stating, “Too often, social media isn’t social at all. Instead, it’s used as a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators.”
The controversial restrictions have received support from some parents, including Mia Bannister, who blamed social media for the suicide of her son, Ollie, saying, “I’m sick of the social media giants shirking responsibility. The problem is we hand them a phone, and we hand them the greatest weapon we could hand them.” However, tech companies and some teenagers have condemned the ban. YouTube attacked the laws as “rushed,” while 15-year-old Layton Lewis commented, “I don’t think the government really knows what they’re doing, and I don’t think it’s going to have any impact on children of Australia.”