Australia Plans to Restrict Under-16s Access to Major Social Media Platforms
There is a growing bipartisan consensus in Australia to implement a ban on social media for children under 16.
Both the Labor and Liberal-National Party Coalition have pledged to enact a ban on social media for children under 16 if they win the upcoming Federal election.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has revealed a plan to restrict teenagers from accessing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
Penalties will be enforced on companies that fail to comply with the regulations, with more details to be provided in the future.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that his government is already moving in a similar direction, allocating $6.5 million for a trial of online age verification.
Mr. Dutton assured parents that the law would make it easier for them to have difficult conversations with their children about social media usage.
“It’s going to be easier if we have a law that says, in the conversation when you’re talking to your kids, that you can’t be on those platforms until you’re 16, that’s the law,” he said on Sunrise.
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“You can’t drive a car until you get your license, that’s the law. You’d love to drive a car beforehand,” Mr. Dutton emphasized.
He emphasized that the Coalition aims to apply the same rules and laws that govern real-life activities to the online sphere.
“These companies need to be pressured, and if we do nothing, the red lines continue to be crossed,” he added.
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