Australia Bans Social Media For Under-16s — Here's The PM's Rationale

Australia PM Anthony Albanese has announced that the country has banned social media for kids aged younger than 16 to ensure safety, amongst widespread support on social media.

"This is about letting kids be kids," said Albanese in a video posted to social media platform X.

Companies that violate the law could face fines of up to A$50 million ($32 million) for each breach. However, underage users and their parents will not be penalised for breaking the rules themselves.

Since 2021, after parliamentary investigations into online safety and social media content, public pressure on the government to intervene has steadily increased. These inquiries featured testimonies from people who experienced online abuse and from parents whose children died by suicide.

In the previous year, News Corp. launched a campaign titled "Let Them Be Kids," demanding that social media accounts be restricted to users aged 16 and above — a proposal supported by the main opposition party.

Within months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had moved the legislation through parliament, saying his goal was for "children to have their childhood." Kids, he said, should be outside playing, experimenting with sports, discovering music and art, or swimming in a pool.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, argues that children cannot compete with the influence of social media. “The hope is that we can at least shield them from some of the more harmful and deceptive features,” she said in an interview this year. “With the manipulative algorithms, the dark patterns and the rabbit holes, it’s not really a fair fight.”

There is also growing concern over the effects of extended screen time on young people and the addictive design of social media platforms.