Australia is set to introduce legislation this year that will block children under 16 from using social media, with the law taking effect 12 months after being passed in parliament.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the move, calling it a world-first effort to protect young people from online harm. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland confirmed the ban would apply to Instagram, Facebook (owned by Meta), TikTok (owned by Bytedance), and X (formerly Twitter, owned by Elon Musk). Alphabet’s YouTube is also expected to fall under the law’s scope.
“Social media is harming our children, and I’m saying enough is enough,” Albanese said at a press briefing.
The proposed legislation will shift responsibility onto social platforms to block underage users, with no exceptions for parental approval. “It’s up to the platforms to prove they are acting responsibly — not kids or their parents,” he added.
The idea received cross-party backing earlier this year when first raised in parliament. None of the targeted social media firms responded to the announcement.
Though various countries have sought to regulate children’s social media use, Australia’s plan is among the toughest. France proposed a similar law last year for those under 15 but allowed parental overrides.
In the US, Surgeon-General Dr. Vivek Murthy urged Congress to impose warning labels on social media akin to cigarette warnings. The US also requires parental consent for tech companies to access data from children under 13, though most platforms ban users under that age.
However, tech experts remain skeptical about enforcement. University of Melbourne’s Toby Murray noted earlier this year that current age verification tools are flawed, easily bypassed, or privacy-invasive.
Australia remains aggressive in regulating tech. Its eSafety Commissioner is currently clashing with X over harmful content, and a new bill would allow large fines for spreading online misinformation.
