Australia is set to plan a new law to stop children under 16 from using social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared this strategic plan on November 7. He said the purpose of the ban is to protect kids from the negative effects of social media, which can harm their physical and mental health.

The government wants to keep young people safe from harmful things online, like body image pressures and inappropriate content, which could affect their mental well-being.

“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it,” Albanese said, emphasising the dangers children face online. He explained that young girls may develop body image problems, while boys can be exposed to harmful content, such as misogynistic messages. "If you're a 14-year-old kid getting this stuff, at a time where you're going through life's changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time, and what we're doing is listening and then acting," he added.

Age verification system to support new policy

The ban is expected to start by the end of 2025. The reason behind this plan is to keep young people safe online. Australia is testing a system to check ages, which would make social media companies responsible for blocking kids under 16 from using their platforms. With this new rule, it would be up to social media companies, not parents or children themselves, to make sure that young users cannot access their sites.

“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access." Albanese said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said that the ban will include popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (which used to be called Twitter), and YouTube.

Australia’s new law is different from those in countries like France and the United States. In those countries, parents can give permission for kids under the age limit to use social media. But Australia’s rule would be much stricter, not allowing any children under 16 to use social media at all, even if their parents agree or they already have accounts.