Australia to ban social media for kids under 16 | Mashable.
Australia to ban social media for kids under 16
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| Credit: Chesnot / Getty Images |
Australia is set to ban social media for kids under 16, in a stated attempt to minimise "harms that are being caused to young people" through the platforms.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the measures on Thursday, after a decision by his government on Monday.
"Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese said in a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. "I've spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online."
"We don't argue that the changes that we will be legislating will fix everything immediately," he added. "We have laws such as people can't buy alcohol if they're under 18, and from time to time that can be broken. But those laws set what the parameters are for our society and they assist in ensuring the right outcomes."
SEE ALSO:Teens feel burnt out. Social media can make it worse.
Albanese said the law will not allow exemptions for users under 16 who have parental consent, nor will it accept "grandfathering arrangements" for young people already on social media.
The government intends to put "the onus will be on social media platforms" instead of parents and teens. Big tech companies are making slow progress in this space — for example, Instagram recently added Teen Accounts, a more restricted way for teens under 16 to use the app.
Most social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat don't let users under 13 make accounts, with varying levels of restriction for users under 16 and 18. However, in August, the U.S. Justice Department sued TikTok for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), for allowing kids to create accounts without parental consent and collecting personal information from children under 13. It's one of several lawsuits across the U.S. against TikTok on the grounds of child safety.
Studies around teens, mental health, and social media aren't in short supply. In his address, the prime minister specifically called out campaigns run by Australian media organisations around the legislation, in particular the debated "Let Them Be Kids" campaign run by NewsCorp. Social change initiative 36Months, who have campaigned to ban social media for under-16s in Australia, were also present at Parliament House on Wednesday.
So, what's the timeline on Australia's social media ban?
The Australian government will determine the details of the law in a virtual national cabinet meeting on Friday, the legislation will be introduced to Parliament in two weeks time, and will come into force 12 months after passage. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said "social media companies have been put on notice", and emphasised there is a one-year lead time before the law would be implemented.
The law's new definition of age restriction on social media will be adapted from Australia's current Online Safety Act. Passed in 2021, it's the country's online harms protection law, much like the UK's version. The eSafety Commissioner, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, will "provide oversight and enforcement" by issuing regulatory guidance for social media platforms.
OK, which social media platforms will be covered under Australia's ban?
When asked about specific social media platforms, Rowland clarified, "In terms of the services that will be covered, there will be a definition in the Act. But I think it is commonly understood that those definitions of what constitutes social media include ones such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. YouTube would likely fall within that definition as well."
How will the social media ban be enforced in Australia?
In a nutshell, it's currently unclear exactly how the social media ban will be regulated, as the prime minister said "there will be no penalties for users." When asked about age restrictions and the practicalities around it (how identification will work etc), Rowland said an "age assurance trial" would happen over the next year, with the government examining the platforms' individual measures and whether they're enough.
"There will need to be measures put in place to ensure that reasonable steps are being taken by the platforms to ensure that that age limit is complied with," she said.
"These platforms know their users better than anyone. These platforms understand their habits, their capabilities, what sort of content should be driven to them and what their behaviours are. So in this year that we will take in terms of implementation, that will be the key focus."
For more on internet safety for kids, Mashable's got you covered.
Topics Social Media Family & Parenting
Yeah, that is totally going to work. So easy to control, too.
ReplyDeleteMy Aussie niece will be spared from that fate. Good luck 😉
ReplyDeleteWhile I see where they are coming from, I don't think this will work very well...
ReplyDeleteThey will just adjust there age when they sign up 🤷♀️
ReplyDeletenot if it requires a valid ID for every account with matching 3D face scan.
Deletechat me private
DeleteGO AUSTRALIA!! Strong game. 💪
ReplyDeleteFantastic
ReplyDeleteGreat move!
ReplyDeleteAre any of you comfortable with providing your personal ID to media companies? Nothing can go wrong you’d think 😂😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteI love it
ReplyDeletechat me private inbox
DeleteMmmm
ReplyDeleteit is too late now... kids as young as 5 yo already exposed to social media are like drug addicts..... not easy to impose this rule..
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete👀
ReplyDeletechat me private
DeleteI see in the comments some people saying that it won't work, well some country has to set an example, it has to start somewhere!
ReplyDeleteexactly, if it works it is the gateway for other countries to try
Delete. governments claim authority over people who aren't allowed to vote ..
ReplyDeleteOh wow. I think more countries should adopt this. Rotting kids' minds.
ReplyDelete🤔
ReplyDeleteExpect Streisand effect.
Australia a hotărât interzicerea oricăror rețele sociale pentru copiii sub 16 ani. Cum vi se pare această hotărâre? 🧐
ReplyDeleteGreat news, children and teenagers are sick because of social media, the internet is sick
ReplyDeleteThe problem is not social networks, but people who do not know how to use them, parents have to educate them
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, like porn site.
ReplyDelete"I'm over 18"
"I'm too stupid to lie about my age"
Texas and all the GOP states are like: put your state ID on file and attach it to your porn searches.
DeleteI don't think people here are truly appreciating the broader consequences of bans like this.
ReplyDeleteMany users in this thread appear to support these proposed under-16 bans on social media, but don't seem to realize that many of these proposed bills and regulations (around the world) have very broad definitions for what is considered social media, and services like Reddit typically fall under those definitions.
Imagine, for example, that you are 15 years old and you develop an interest in a particular hobby such as 3D printing, but then you are blocked from posting questions in a forum or subreddit related to 3D printing because that is 'social media' and you're under 16.
To me, this sort of thing is very concerning, it has the potential to greatly (and unduly) restrict teens from accessing valuable information, resources and help/assistance through online communities.
People also seem to ignore the fact that many of these proposed bills and regulations would end up requiring (at least some) adult users to verify their age such as with photo identification or facial age estimation technologies (e.g. if an algorithm determines an account may potentially belong to someone under 16). This, of course, would cause great inconvenience to many adults users and would have significant data privacy/security implications.
You do know that reddit is a cesspit right? Yes I can get some great insights on 3D printing but also it's a one stop shop for some of the worst shit on the internet. Go to the library and get a book. Join a local club. Look together with a parent on a specific forum and use it as a bonding experience. Its possible to pursue and research interests outside of social media. Maybe people can learn some old fashioned research skills before their brain gets rotted by AI generated shorts.
Delete
Deletelikely any online forum could be defined as "social media" under such bills. You do list some great alternatives except the whole point of the internet is that it is a tremendous vault of information, local clubs and libraries cannot compare (especially in more niche interests) and parents won't always approve of their child's interests making their assistance questionable.
I think i would have lost my mind as a child if i didn't have unfiltered access to the internet as it was the only place i could have decent conversations without people putting on the "kid gloves" or outright refusing to engage with me on X topic. In a rare case of emotions affecting me i think i'd like to see that preserved for any future kid who might be the same way.
This isn't about protecting children, this is about ending anonymous social media accounts.
ReplyDeletemass surveillance always starts with "think of the children"
Deletewe're already being mass-surveilled: the fact that private companies do it for profit and control doesn't make it better than the government doing it for it's own creepy reasons
DeleteExacly what I was thinking when I read it
DeleteIt isn’t at all. Not all governments are malicious.
DeleteEnding anonymity has been a goal for basically any authority and modern governments are no different, of course it's not to make lives worse specifically but it does tend to result in exactly that.
DeleteSure but there are a number of governments working on zero trust based age verification wallets that tell companies your age for things like alcohol orders online without revealing your ID to the company. I’ve worked on one such project.
DeleteIf you think you have anonymity from government investigation on social media already now though you’re a bit deluded.
They should also ban the over 50’s at the same time.
ReplyDeleteGood. At least somebody understands tiktok is rotting the brains of everyone who consumes it, kids most of all
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn't have to play these types of games with these companies
ReplyDeleteWe as a people should have the power to shut down these companies if they target kids, and do so with arrests of board members and seizing of assets
Instead we have to make BS gate keeping laws, so that big tech can still keep their money and go unchallenged
"We as a people"
DeleteYou can not mr
The problem is the way the Australian government going to stop under 16-year-olds from accessing social media is using ID and that is a big red flag when hackers are swarming all across the Internet.
ReplyDeleteSocial media sites constantly get hacked all the time so this is just going to be a massive disaster in the long run.
Also, kids aren’t stupid. They’ll figure out alternative ways to access social media like using a VPN.
Not to mention, the problem is society is now so integrated with technology that in a lot of cases, you need social media to figure out what the bloody hell is going on now, e.g holidays, special events, competitions etc… what are you expecting kids under 16 years old to do? Have them look at bulletin boards? Good luck with that.
All this technically happened because parents can’t be bothered to parent no more, they would rather just let technology do it for them. that’s what caused this whole mess to happen in the first place. Social media is not your babysitter.
This law should have been around for me…..it would have stopped me from being sucked into that hive of villainy known as Facebook.
ReplyDelete16 yo are considered children? Banning them at 13 yo would seem more reasonable.
ReplyDeleteyeah it’s 14/15/16 year olds most susceptible to peer pressures and it’s definitely a turning point for certain types of bullying/harassment. 13 and under is actual children not teens and that’s not where a lot of the serious harms leading to depression, anxiety and suicide is occurring.
DeleteThis should've been done 10 years ago by every nation in the world.
ReplyDeleteAwesome decision! Save future humans from becoming zombies!
ReplyDeleteIf the rest of the world followed suit, we could finally have a cringe free internet
ReplyDeleteI think that an amazing thing! Young people are in no way equipped to handle social media and honestly, neither are most adults.
ReplyDeleteHow are they going to enforce that?
Bu tying a digital ID to every adults reddit, instagram and YouTube accounts. It's not about protecting kids.
DeleteWell if any place is going to do that it'll be Australia that's for sure..
Delete5-10 years ago I would've said that's stupid. But now, I completely agree with that. Fucking tiktok and Snapchat and stuff like Instagram is definitely harmful to human health.
ReplyDeleteVPN usage by “18 year olds” skyrocket over night in Australia.
ReplyDeleteGood idea. We need way more protections for our kids online. My kid is a few years from 13 and I’m fucking dreading when all these companies can legally start data mining them like they do with the rest of us. I wish people cared at all about their personal data and their right to own it.
ReplyDeleteAlmost like Australian political and bureaucratic elite crave to create criminals out of everyone to keep up with historic beginning of modern Australia.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm I wonder how they may have got the idea that it brain rots entire countries?
ReplyDeleteProbably for the best. Social media is a disaster for a child’s psychology.
ReplyDeletehttps://chaser.com.au/national/albanese-bans-access-to-non-murdoch-media-for-kids-under-16/
DeleteNo, it's really not. The onus should be on parents to enforce this shit instead of implementing bullshit ID laws.
DeleteThe only guaranteed way to do this is to connect a government ID to the accounts. This isn't about safety, it's about ending online anonymity.
ReplyDeleteUseless proposal, kids are just going to use it anyways they just have to lie that they are 16 thats all.., why is te government trying to control the population like they are sheep? How about they make parents take class on "how to become a better parent" instead? I don't need anyone telling me what my child can or can't do.
ReplyDelete"I don't need anyone telling me what my child can or can't do."
DeleteI don't necessarily agree or disagree with your premise, but isn't this basically the point of every law ever made?
Setting an age limit on tobacco use or military enlistment, for example
Ban's never worked well historically the government should learn from their mistakes, look at the historical attempt to ban alcohol and marijuana which was catastrophically bad.
DeleteThe government should add a new class to school curriculums that educate about the potential dangers of fake news and bad actors in social media.
Attempting to ban it is outright stupid and it tells me the ones who proposed it clearly didn't put much thought behind it.
I think there's a nuance in there that wasn't clear in your first comment
DeleteIt originally seemed like you wanted the gov't to not "speak" in a way that discourages a particular activity, but here you seem to be saying that it's more about the way it's being "said".
Yes, basically what I am saying is that banning doesn't solve anything. Better moderation over content and/or better education is the permanent fix.
Delete
ReplyDeleteIt's wild to think about this.
Social media has had a massive change since its earliest years. Back when Myspace was a thing, it has much less available content. No 10 second reals, limited messaging, and advertising was handled differently. You'd do some lightweight coding, change your song, and maybe your top 5 friends or whatever when arguments started.
The times have changed and realistically, technology is what I'd blame it on. Regulation wouldn't be a bad idea on social media. I'm just glad I'm not going to be responsible for monitoring this crud
Anyone who fries the servers of every social media site with an EMP would be doing the world a favor
ReplyDeleteNot enforceable - and would make everyone's life harder, and hurt everyone's privacy as well. Big no.
ReplyDeleteBan people under 21 tbh
ReplyDeleteThis entire generation is fucked because of social media
I'd be advocating for this in my country but I'm just too busy with social media right now.
ReplyDeleteI don't how enforceable this is realistically.
ReplyDeleteI understand the desired outcome.
I think the age cut-off is a bit high to be honest, depending on what the scope of social media is banned, and how social media is defined. Becuase as harmful as social media is, there are helpful resources that exist on sites like Reddit/youtube such as educational content, how to get a job, fix your car etc, that I would hope would still be accessible to teenagers who need it.
They can find those kinds of things through online articles, ChatGPT, YouTube, etc.
DeleteYea thats exactly why I said depending how social media is defined. I don't see how Titktok would be classified as social media, but not youtube.
DeleteChatGPT is definitely not social media, but you have to be careful seeking advice on there, as it can provide false information there. And tbf it is trained on social media data too, and can be prompted to provide information from social media sites.
Ah, bullying going to return to SMS, IRC etc. Where there's no parental controls, no moderation, no reporting, no online assistance.
ReplyDeleteGovernment really should stop making rules on things they have no clue about, however well-intentioned
Imagine waiting until you're 16 to access the internet the way we used to wait so we could drive.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think this is about internet access?
Deletegood idea we should ban all under 99s from twitter while we are at it.
ReplyDeleteIn Europe a lot of apps can't function or even be registered without a cell number. That alone makes it harder but obviously 14-15 year olds can also buy new sim cards if they wanted. But then to register an account to get a sim card may be harder instead of just buying. Point being if you tie social media accounts to cellphones is automatically makes it easier to enforce.
ReplyDeleteThis is gonna end up like the "are you over 18" message on porn sites that everyone ignored as a kid
ReplyDeleteUnless you have to attach Id. Which you should
DeleteSoon scammers impatiently will wait when a new batch of gullible people will be introduced...
ReplyDeleteYeah, that'll stop 'em. Lol 😂 Remember how banning underage drinking stopped underage drinking? Yeah? Me neither. Simply remove the social media. We've proven it's highly toxic to society and interpersonal relationships, and the people who thrive on social media are often maladjusted. Just let social media go.
ReplyDeleteTheir brains really do cook in the ozoneless land down under huh?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea imo.
ReplyDelete"The tech giants would be held responsible for enforcing the age limit and face cracks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Australia is among the vanguard of nations trying to clean up social media, and the proposed age limit would be among the world's strictest measures aimed at children.
"This one is for the mums and dads. Social media is doing real harm to kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese told reporters outside parliament."
Oh wow. Imagine if the US had this for the last decade. Sure, it would be impossible to know how or if it'd be any different; but for sure the size of the young male audience people like Rogan and other charlatan influencers have as a grip on them, who grew up in their early teens being brain rotted by all that slop or the "Alpha man" garbage.. sheesh. Wonder if that would have had any noticable statistical change on the election.
ReplyDeleteThis honestly feels like one of those thing that humanity will look back on and think "omg they let kids use those toxic dumps of false information and self esteemed wrecking balls back in thr day!" Sort of how we look back at cigarettes today.
ReplyDeleteAustralia has traditionally been a news generator in improving slave practices. An outstanding country. The only other such country in the Western world is probably Canada.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who may be effected by this, use a VPN and be very careful about how you act online
ReplyDeleteIn this awful time, this has made me glad I don’t live in Australia. This’ll certainly go very well /s
ReplyDeleteAustralia can be a nanny state but there’s a reason why it’s one of the safest countries in the world.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with this whole-heartedly, does this include video sites like Youtube? I feel like Youtube has a lot of potential knowledge and information for everyone, particularly young people trying to get clarification on some things.
ReplyDeleteThere is YouTube kids. Not that is any much better but it takes out a lot of crap.
DeleteThe issue with that is that the videos needs to be marked "for kids" when publishing, which most people don't do. As someone that uploads to Youtube fairly regularly, they don't make that very intuitive.
DeleteI understand. A middle ground like a YouTube teens with more clear rules for uploaders, might be something that could work out. The problem is that they don't allow ads to be viewed by minors, in certain countries, so isn't much profitable for Google itself.
DeleteHow is that enforceable?
ReplyDeleteHow would any way of doing that not breach fundamental rights like speech, information and privacy?
How about instead increase the level or education in schools regarding navigating the internet and avoiding it's perils?
When has banning teenagers from doing anything ever worked?
Not gonna lie, social media can be a toxic hellscape for teens. But enforcing age limits is like playing whack-a-mole - kids will find workarounds.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how you practically enforce this unless you have a national ID system for it (which is its own can of worms). Best you could do is have moderators ban suspected underage accounts.
ReplyDeleteIf true, then it's amazing!! Well have the world back.
ReplyDeletePeople just looooove taking away children's rights. What are they going to do, vote against it?
ReplyDeleteWhat a giant waste of money and time. How about you fund research to better understand this massive problem instead?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is already known and understood
DeleteWhat? It's a problem that isn't very complex...
DeleteI mean, we have
DeleteWhy stop there, we could ban them from socializing altogether!
ReplyDeleteOr try real socialising , like meeting in person?
DeleteNo thanks!
Deleteout to see a whole lotta Jan 1, 1901 birthdays
ReplyDeleteYooo that's my birthday xD
Deleteits simple if they force social media companies to KYC their users
DeleteThis is a good thing. The correlation between social media use and depression in teens continues to rise. This is honestly something they should implement in most western countries.
ReplyDeleteBut social media be good in many ways. I know a lot of U-16 content creators that are making a ton through reels and tik Tok.
Deletethat percentage is such a small subset of people. The benefits of less social media on teens would do wonders
Deleteno parents just need to do their jobs better! The government should not be involved in making decisions that parents are perfectly capable of controlling. Lazy parenting is what I call this!
Deleteit’s both. You can’t always police what your kids are doing online
Deleteand that’s exactly what a neglectful parent would say 👍🏻ding ding ding! Not always but you can definitely make sure they have limitations. That’s what it comes down to. Parental controls exist for a reason 🙌🏻
DeleteSo, give cigarettes and alcohol back to kids then?
DeleteLol Gen Z is past that. We don’t need to sub one addiction for another
DeleteProhibition , look how that worked
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
ReplyDeleteYeah, because forbidding things always works.
ReplyDeleteand thats why we dont have drug laws right?
Deletewe should have 0 laws amirite
DeleteI mean they did ban assault rifles and haven’t had a mass shooting for decades sooo, yeah forbidding things does tend to work
Deletego break some laws and see how people feel.
Deleteforeal! If I want to plow through a school zone while being high off my rocker I should... wait. There's a law against it!!! Fuuuuuuuucckkkkk!!
DeleteNobody said that but yeah it's designed to be addictive.
Deleteit's a step in the right direction, regardless if it fully works or not.
Deleteyeah I don’t think black market TikTok dealers will emerge. If it’s blocked it blocked. How many teens are going to implement a private network and software to manipulate their location to be on Facebook.
Deletethey’re acknowledging that it’s a problem at least.
DeletePlease
ReplyDeleteI support
ReplyDeletesocial media barely existed by the time I was 16...I think this is good. But... not plausible.
ReplyDeleteYou...add ellipses...to strange places in...your sentences.
DeleteIt's simply...a funny...thi...ng to...observe and make commentary...on
DeleteIt’s a good idea. Let’s see how well it can be implemented.
ReplyDeleteI think we just need to shame iPad parents and call for better parenting.
ReplyDeleteand if a kid has a device the only people they need to talk to are the ones already in their life. Friends and family.
Deletestrongly agree
DeleteNice
ReplyDeleteI’ve worked with students for the last 8 years and this could be extremely beneficial in the long run. The short run could be horrific if not handled correctly. Easing into it with some kind of “grandfather” law for those already highly connected might be considered. Social media is a mental addiction and should be monitored for minors as studies have shown the MASSIVELY negative implications overuse of social media has on the adolescent. Social media companies that offer mental health services as their primary product should have to apply for exemption from the law if their main focus is connecting youth to mental healthcare.
ReplyDeleteNot Me reading this while doom scrolling
DeleteNot quite sure how exactly they plan on forcing that when you know you can just lie about your age. 🙄
ReplyDeleteKYC but then a new problem with data privacy appears.
DeleteSocial media that doesn't allow u block the infinite scrolling are craps! That should be baned in every country.
ReplyDeleteCurb me, I can’t curb myself
ReplyDelete@hoth Australia is a better country
ReplyDeletewe do okay, but we’re by no means perfect. We’re definitely just as corrupt in most fields as any other country.
DeleteThis 1700s is equivalent to taxing tea, hopefully they have the courage for revolution
ReplyDeleteI think due to COPPA there are probably some data brokers who to this day are under the impression that I’m 3-10 years older than I am
ReplyDeleteYes!!
ReplyDeleteWe should just get rid of it altogether for everyone
ReplyDelete👏👏👏
ReplyDelete**~ laugh out loud ~**
ReplyDelete👏
ReplyDeleteSmart
ReplyDeleteAnd their teens will be more successful, smarter, less hateful genuine human being for it. Social media poisons minds good for them.
ReplyDelete🔥🔥
ReplyDeleteThey want to block the world from seeing how Aussie Kids are treated in school and to stop us from seeing what's going on in Aussie 1st Person View.
ReplyDeleteY’all know this is never getting implemented in the US right?
ReplyDeleteJust let her talk to her Prince Charming! Aka Nomad aka Austin Ames!
ReplyDeleteBest idea
ReplyDeleteThat’s the most unamerican thing I’d ever heard!!!!
ReplyDelete👏👏👏
ReplyDeleteGood.
ReplyDelete👏👏
ReplyDeleteAnd how do they plan on doing that? Banning things always works and never backfires
ReplyDeleteThe point of this is to implement digital ID. Albo has more or less said this on interviews.
ReplyDeleteSo you can lock them up from age 10, but they aren't mature enough to freely express themselves until they turn 16
ReplyDeleteentire life
ReplyDeleteThe Muslim woman in my biography
Have helped my life👍💯 very well
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
ReplyDeleteI absolutely don’t envy people who had to grow up with social media.
ReplyDeleteYes. Kids before profits please.
ReplyDeleteThere’s no negative repercussions to this just bunch of people that’ll complains about. In 5-10 years, the world will see the difference!
ReplyDelete🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
ReplyDeleteHow do you enforce this? Also, why is the government the new parents?
ReplyDeleteHaha losers
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile in America…
ReplyDeleteOk bubble gum butt
ReplyDeleteUSA, don't care, only about $
ReplyDelete