Australia to ban children under 16 from social media: ‘real harm to kids’

The proposed age limit would be among the world’s strictest measures targeting children

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Children in Australia under the age of 16 will be banned from social media as part of a push to protect young people’s mental health, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, with firms involved required to enforce the new regulations or face potential fines. Photo: TNS

Published: 5:15pm, 7 Nov 2024

Australia’s prime minister on Thursday vowed to ban children under 16 from social media, saying the pervasive influence of platforms like Facebook and TikTok was “doing real harm to our kids”.

The tech giants would be held responsible for enforcing the age limit and face hefty fines if regulators notice young users slipping through the cracks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Australia is among the vanguard of nations trying to clean up social media, and the proposed age limit would be among the world’s strictest measures aimed at children.

“This one is for the mums and dads. Social media is doing real harm to kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese told reporters outside parliament.

The new laws would be presented to state and territory leaders this week, before being introduced to parliament in late November.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland hold a press conference detailing steps towards restricting access to social media for children and teenagers, allowing it only for those aged 16 or older. Photo: dpa

Once passed, the tech platforms would be given a one-year grace period to figure out how to implement and enforce the ban.