YAY or NAY? Australia bans social media for under 16’s

Updated Dec. 3, 2024, 5:46 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Australia recently announced its decision to ban all social media platforms for children under the age of 16.

Young kid on her phone — Suzi Media Production / iStock

The Australian parliament has approved a controversial law to ban social media for children under 16, which will come into effect in late 2025. Tech companies that do not comply could be fined up to A$49.5 million (about R600 million).

According to Reuters, the Social Media Minimum Age bill positions Australia as a test case for many governments considering age restrictions on social media due to concerns about its mental health impact on young people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the law is necessary to protect young people from the harms associated with social media, a sentiment echoed by many parental groups.

Australian Labor Party minister, Michelle Rowland, confirmed that Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X will fall under this ban.

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Amy Friedlander, a parent advocating for the ban, told the BBC: “For too long parents have had this impossible choice between giving in and getting their child an addictive device or seeing their child isolated and feeling left out. We’ve been trapped in a norm that no one wants to be a part of."

Grieving father Wayne Holdsworth expressed his support for the ban, citing the tragic suicide of his son, who fell victim to a sextortion scam.

Under this new law, tech companies will be required to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages and prohibit those under 16 from creating accounts.

A spokesperson for Meta said that while they respect this law, they are concerned about the rushed process to pass the law, which did not consider all the measures they already have to ensure age-appropriate experiences.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, shared his opposition to this ban, stating, “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.”

Many teens have questioned how this ban will be enforced. Enie Lam, a 16-year-old social media user, told NBC News that this law will likely create a generation of young people who are more technologically savvy at bypassing these restrictions.

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Some South Africans have weighed in on the ban, calling for a similar implementation in the country. Media personality, Tbo Touch, shared his support on Instagram, highlighting social media as a source of discontent and a gateway to harmful content.

What started as a tool to allow us to connect freely has now become a nightmare for many parents and children around the world.