Australia Becomes First Country To Ban Children Under 16 From Social Media. Australia has become the first country in the world to ban social media for children under 16. The new law came into effect on Wednesday, setting a record for Australia.
Companies have said they will use a variety of methods to determine age. These include age inference from user behaviour, age estimation based on selfies, and checking uploaded ID or linked bank account details.
The platforms have said they will not make much money from advertising to users under 16, but have warned that the ban will hinder the pipeline of future users.
Australia’s move has been welcomed by many parents and child rights advocates, while major technology companies and freedom of expression advocates have criticised it.
The law, which came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, orders 10 major platforms, including TikTok, Alphabet Inc’s YouTube and Meta Inc’s Instagram and Facebook, to block access to children, or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they fail to comply.
X says on its website, “This is not our choice, it is required by Australian law.” X says it will automatically remove anyone who does not meet its age requirements from the platform.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a proud day for families. He presented the legislation as proof that policymakers are capable of controlling online harms that have outpaced traditional security measures. “This will make a big difference,” Albanese said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Before the start of the summer holidays in Australian schools, Albanese has urged children via video message to start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read a long-awaited book.
“No more social media… No more contact with the rest of the world,” one teenager wrote on TikTok. “See you when I’m 16,” another said.
Opinions are divided over the impact of the ban on mental health. 14-year-old Annie Wang said on the eve of the ban that it could be bad for gay people and people with special interests, according to Reuters.
Albania’s centre-left government introduced the landmark law, citing the harm to mental health caused by the excessive use of social media, including misinformation, threats and body images, among young teenagers.
The ban has launched a live experiment for governments around the world, with many countries from Denmark to New Zealand and Malaysia already indicating they could study or replicate the Australian model.