Australia Passes World-First Social Media Ban for Children

Australia has approved the world's first law allowing access to social media only from the age of 16, Reuters reports.

The new law will force Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X to check the age of registered users, otherwise they face a fine of up to $32 million.

According to the head of the government, social media is harmful to children, posing risks to physical and mental health. For example, girls start to worry about their bodies, and boys consume misogynistic content.

The age limit will come into force in November 2025, 12 months after the law is passed.

X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook must use this year to delete the accounts of Australian children under the age of 16. Otherwise, they may face fines of up to $32 million.

YouTube is not subject to the ban, as it is widely used in schools.

Australian lawmakers have ignored petitions from tech giants, including Google and Meta, to postpone the ban until the age verification trial is completed. This is scheduled for around the middle of next year.

However, the Senate committee made an amendment aimed at protecting privacy and added a condition that platforms should not force users to provide personal data, such as a passport or other digital ID, to prove their age.

A Meta spokesperson said they respect Australian law, but are ‘concerned’ about the process that ‘rushed the law through without properly considering the evidence and what the industry is already doing, as well as the voices of young people’.

Some youth advocacy groups and academics have previously warned that the ban could cut off the most vulnerable young people, including LGBTIQ+ and migrant adolescents, from the support they find online.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has stated that the law may violate the human rights of young people by hindering their ability to participate in society.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, also criticised the Australian government.

‘This seems to be a stealthy way to control internet access for all Australians,’ Musk wrote in X earlier.

The minimum age of access to social media bill makes Australia a test case for a growing number of countries considering legal restrictions on social media amid concerns about its impact on young people's mental health.

In France, in 2023, it was proposed to ban social media for people under the age of 15, but with the possibility of parental permission.

The United States has a rule that requires parental consent to collect data from children under 13, but there is no outright ban.