In a landmark decision, Australia’s Senate passed legislation on Thursday banning children and teenagers from using social media, marking the first such move by any government worldwide.
The laws, approved on the final day of the Senate session, will come into effect by the end of next year. Once enforced, individuals aged 16 or younger will be prohibited from accessing platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit, and X.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government defended the legislation, emphasizing it as a necessary step to safeguard the mental health and well-being of young Australians.
According to ABC News, the new laws will not permit social media platforms to mandate government identification, including digital IDs, for age verification.
The legislation, which cleared the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday, includes substantial fines of up to AU$50 million ($32 million) for platforms failing to comply. While 34 senators voted in favor of the ban, 19 opposed it. The House of Representatives had earlier passed the bill with 102 votes in favor and 13 against.
Prime Minister Albanese criticized the negative impact of social media, describing it as “doing social harm.”
“We want Australian children to experience a real childhood, and we want parents to feel assured that the Government is on their side. This is a significant reform. While some children may find ways around it, we are sending a strong message to social media companies to clean up their act,” he stated on Nov. 21.
Although many platforms already have policies restricting minors from using their services, these are often disregarded. Social media companies have faced accusations of deploying algorithms to make teenagers dependent on their platforms, claims they have consistently denied.
Numerous studies have highlighted the connection between social media use among youth and lower self-esteem, as well as psychological challenges.
