Australia expected to ban use of SNS by people under 16 years old – GIGAZINE

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that he will move to pass a new law banning children under the age of 16 from using social media, and vowed to crack down on technology companies that do not protect young users. Prime Minister Albanese has long discussed cracking down on young people’s use of social media, but this is the first time he has made a clear statement about age.

Social media ban for children under 16
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/children-under-16-to-be-banned-from-using-social-media-20241107-p5kon4.html

Labor backs 16 as the minimum age to use social media ahead of national cabinet meeting – ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-07/labor-backs-social-media-age-minimum-16-years/104571186

Is Australia setting itself up to fail with teen social media ban? | SBS News
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/is-australia-setting-itself-up-to-fail-with-teen-social-media-ban/88sy53iv0

The new law promoted by Prime Minister Albanese will completely ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, including those who already use it, even if they have parental consent. are subject to regulation.

At a press conference, Prime Minister Albanese said, “We plan to hold companies that operate social networking sites accountable, and children and their parents will not be punished if they violate the law.” However, details such as how to specifically block children’s access and how to punish companies that violate the law have not been disclosed. Prime Minister Albanese plans to seek agreement on the age of 16 at a cabinet meeting to be held at a later date.

The plan to ban the use of SNS by people under the age of 16 was announced in September 2024, and was said to have received support from many parties, both the ruling and opposition parties. Even Peter Dutton, leader of the main opposition Liberal Party, has promised to introduce a ban within 100 days if he wins the next federal election. Liberal Party spokesperson David Coleman MP welcomed the move and said: “We will check to make sure this law is strong and has no loopholes. The law protects Australia’s children and we have always ensured that We want to do something about the platforms we are concerned about.”

On the other hand, there are also concerns that “children’s voices are not being heard” and “children will not be able to access the information they need.”

Daniel Angus, director of the Digital Media Research Center at Queensland University of Technology, said: “It’s incredibly difficult to police online activity. The government’s approach to banning is an important step towards media literacy education and the appropriate use of digital technology. “It ignores the fact that a tailored approach is needed,” he said, adding that he believes Prime Minister Albanese’s policy is wrong.

Sen. Tammy Tyrrell said, “Ban is not the answer. It doesn’t stop kids from accessing social media, and it doesn’t actually solve the problems kids face online. It doesn’t. “It’s a policy that doesn’t listen to the voices of the children who are affected by this and only makes older generations feel better.”