On November 24th, 2024, the prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, confirmed that social media would be officially banned for minors under the age of 16. The ban will not take place until late 2025, giving governments and platforms the time to find ways to implement it. Although numerous leaders are congratulating Australia, experts say that it will have a major negative impact on the world for several reasons.
Albanese states that the reason for this ban is to manage the impact of excessive social media use on children’s mental and physical health, as stated on NBC News. The platforms being banned are TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, X, Facebook and Reddit. Apps that will be accessible are online gaming platforms, platforms with the primary purpose of supporting children’s mental health, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp or Messages.
“What we’re doing is defending the rights of young Australians and defending Australian families,” Albanese protested during an interview. Furthermore, ABC News mentions the parliament’s bill of 50 million Australian dollars for social media companies that fail to ban access to people under the age of 16, whereas there will be no fine or consequences for the parents and young people on the apps.
Apart from the many people agreeing with the new law, experts and advocacy groups say this recent idea could backfire very quickly. As stated in The Guardian, restricting social media for teenagers could cause them to feel isolated from the world and people or introduce them to the “dark web.” Multiple people also worry that the process is going too fast and not being thought about thoroughly, since it gives the high possibility for companies to leak personal data of the individual logging into a certain platform. Children and teenagers can also easily bypass this ban with the use of a VPN, which is an app that can disguise your location for another country. But as I said before, people who disobey the rules and find ways to evade them will not face any penalties.
A few weeks before confirming this law, the government held a vote to make the final decision. There was considerable opposition, but 77% of Australia’s population agreed to this law, believing that it would create a positive impact on teenage minds and how they act.
Albanese has confirmed this law and said that it will take place in late 2025, giving them enough time to explore ways to create restrictions without any consequences.
Bibliography:
Works Cited
Allyn, Bobby. “How will Australia’s under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law’s enforcer.” NPR, 19 December 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/12/19/nx-s1-5231020/australia-top-regulator-kids-social-media-ban. Accessed 17 January 2025.
“Australian premier defends youth social media ban amid global praise.” Anadolu Ajansı, 8 January 2025, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/australian-premier-defends-youth-social-media-ban-amid-global-praise/3444698#. Accessed 17 January 2025.
“Australia passes landmark social media ban for children under 16.” NBC News, 28 November 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/australia-passes-landmark-social-media-ban-children-16-rcna181124. Accessed 17 January 2025.
Doran, Matt. “Children to be banned from social media from next year after parliament votes through world-first laws.” ABC, 28 November 2024, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-28/social-media-age-ban-passes-parliament/104647138. Accessed 17 January 2025.
Kaye, Byron, and Praveen Menon. “Australia passes social media ban for children under 16.” Reuters, 28 November 2024, https://www.reuters.com/technology/australia-passes-social-media-ban-children-under-16-2024-11-28/. Accessed 17 January 2025.
Kirby, Zach. “Australian Government bans social media for those under 16 years of age.” MinterEllisonRuddWatts, 5 December 2024, https://www.minterellison.co.nz/insights/australian-government-bans-social-media-for-those. Accessed 17 January 2025.
Rose, Tamsin. “Should Australia ban children under 16 from social media – and how would it actually work?” The Guardian, 21 May 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/21/australia-social-media-ban-children-state-government-nsw-qld-sa-vic. Accessed 26 January 2025.
Sullivan, Helen. “Australia passes world-first law banning under-16s from social media despite safety concerns.” The Guardian, 28 November 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/nov/28/australia-passes-world-first-law-banning-under-16s-from-social-media-despite-safety-concerns. Accessed 17 January 2025.