Australia Plans Age Limit to Ban Children from Social Media

Australia is moving forward with plans to introduce a minimum age limit for children using social media platforms, potentially banning anyone under 16 from accessing sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the proposal on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to protect young people from the negative impacts of social media and encouraging them to engage in more physical and social activities.

Federal legislation aimed at implementing this age limit is expected to be introduced later this year. While the exact age has not yet been decided, it is anticipated to be between 14 and 16 years old, with Albanese personally favoring the upper limit of 16.

“I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts,” Albanese stated.

This highlights the intention of the government to promote healthier lifestyles among children.

Albanese told the national broadcaster ABC, “We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm.”

The prime minister referred to the influence of social media on young people’s mental health as a “scourge,” pointing to the growing concerns over online bullying and the exposure of children to harmful content.

He added, “We know that there are mental health consequences for what many of the young people have had to deal with.”

As part of the government’s approach, an age verification trial will be conducted over the coming months to explore various methods of enforcing the new regulations. The trial will test different technologies to ensure that age restrictions can be reliably enforced.

The proposal has garnered support from across the political spectrum. Australia’s conservative opposition leader, Peter Dutton, expressed his backing for the age limit, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the risks posed by social media.

Dutton said, “Every day of delay leaves young kids vulnerable to the harms of social media,”

He criticized the current reliance on tech companies to enforce age limits.

However, the plan has also faced criticism from experts who warn that it may not be the best solution. Daniel Angus, a professor at Queensland University of Technology, described the government’s proposal as “reckless”.

He noted that it was announced before the final report of a joint parliamentary inquiry into the impact of social media on Australian society.

Angus argued, “This knee-jerk move undermines the joint inquiry and deliberative democratic principles and threatens to create serious harm by excluding young people from meaningful, healthy participation in the digital world.”

He cautioned that the legislation could push children towards “lower quality online spaces,” potentially limiting their opportunities for social connection.

Concerns have also been raised about the practicality of enforcing the age limit. Toby Murray, an associate professor in computing and information technology at the University of Melbourne, questioned whether the necessary technology exists to reliably implement such bans.

Murray pointed out, “The government is currently trialling age assurance technology. But we already know that present age verification methods are unreliable, too easy to circumvent, or risk user privacy.”.

Despite these challenges, Prime Minister Albanese remains firm in his stance, insisting that social media companies must take responsibility for the content accessible to children on their platforms.

However, the Prime Minister said in a radio interview, “These social media companies think they’re above everyone.

“Well, they have a social responsibility, and at the moment, they’re not exercising it. And we’re determined to make sure that they do.”