Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday his government would introduce a “world-leading” ban on social media for children under 16.
If the effort goes as planned by Albanese, the ban will go into effect at the end of 2025.
“Social media is having a negative impact on our children and I want to take the time to address it,” Albanese said. said at a press conference Thursday.
“I've spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who, like me, are deeply concerned about their children's safety online, and who have told Australian parents and families that the government “We want you to know we’re rooting for you,” he said.
Ms Albanese pointed out the risks social media poses to children's physical and mental health.
“If you're a 14-year-old kid and you're going through something like this at a time when you're going through life changes and growth, it can be a really difficult time. And we “What we do is listen and then act.” said.
Albanese was a little vague. detail He said it was unclear how the ban would work specifically, but “the onus is on social media platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.”
The Prime Minister said the ban does not include a “grandfathering” clause for young people who already have social media accounts, so all accounts will be closed at once when the ban comes into effect.
Albanese Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government was in touch with platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and YouTube to discuss how the ban on young people would be implemented. Ta.
“What we're announcing here and what we're going to enact into law will be truly world-leading,” Rowland said.
Opposition Liberal Party Leader Peter Dutton agreed Opposition spokesman David Coleman said: “We can only hope that this legislation is strong, that there are no loopholes and that this really protects Australian children and captures the platforms that we are also concerned about.” Ta.
Australian state and territory governments unanimously shown Their support for Friday's ban. Some states, such as Tasmania, had preferred a lower age limit of 14, but were willing to support a 16-year age limit to create a uniform national standard.
Meanwhile, a coalition of over 140 international organizations urges Albanians to open letter He argued last month that a blanket ban would be “too blunt a tool to effectively address the risks”.
The group said, among other objections, that effectively enforcing the ban is a “challenge” and that platforms no longer have an incentive to provide child-safe features for young people who have managed to circumvent the ban. He argued that social media will become even more dangerous for people. .
“The online world is a place for children and young people to access information, develop social and technical skills, connect with family and friends, learn about the world around them, relax and play. , promote children's rights and strengthen their development and transition to adulthood,” the letter said.
The Digital Industry Group (DIGI), which includes X, Google and Facebook parent Meta, said Australia's ban would only encourage children to delve deeper into the forbidden areas of the internet.
“Keeping young people safe online is a top priority… but the proposed ban on teenagers from accessing digital platforms is a 20th century response to a 21st century challenge,” said Sanity, Managing Director of DIGI. Bose said.
“Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to creating age-appropriate spaces, increasing digital literacy and protecting young people from online harm,” she said. .
France has a similar social media ban, but the age limit is 15 instead of 16, and children can continue to use social media with parental consent. French President Emmanuel Macron said He said in April that he wanted the entire European Union to adopt France's rules.
“Who would send their child into the jungle at the age of 5, 10, 12? Today, we open the door to the jungle for several hours a day,” Macron said.
In the United States, Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced A bill introduced in May called the Kids Off Social Media Act would set the minimum age for using social media platforms to be 13 or older. The bill would also ban social media companies from using algorithms to feed content to users under 17 and limit access to social media platforms in schools.
“Every parent of young children and teens is concerned or knows firsthand the real harm and dangers of addictive and anxiety-inducing social media,” said Senator Cruz in introducing this bill. , we know there is no good reason for a child to binge-watch doom scrolls and reels that glorify unhealthy lifestyles,” said Senator Cruz.
“Young students should be looking at the blackboard, not their phones,” Cruz said of his proposal to ban social media in schools.
“There's no good reason for a 9-year-old to be on Instagram or TikTok. There isn't. There's growing evidence that social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, more suicidal. This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act,” said Senator Schatz.
