This nation will soon ban social media use for children, setting an age restriction

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that the government will impose a minimum age limit for social media use, potentially setting it as high as 16. The initiative is part of the federal legislation aimed at reducing children's screen time and encouraging them to participate in physical activities like sports.

Albanese characterised the pervasive influence of social media on youth as a "scourge", emphasising the urgent need for action. Although the exact minimum age for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok is yet to be determined, it is projected to fall between 14 and 16 years, with Albanese expressing a personal preference for a cutoff at 16.

Albanese further criticised social media companies for failing to take responsibility for their platforms, insisting that they must be held accountable for the safety of their younger audiences. “These social media companies think they're above everyone,” he remarked in a radio interview. “They have a social responsibility that they are currently not exercising, and we're determined to ensure that they do.”

AGE VERIFICATION MODEL

To facilitate this policy, age verification trials are set to commence in the coming months. However, experts have raised concerns regarding the feasibility of effectively enforcing such age restrictions. Toby Murray, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, noted that existing age verification methods are often easily circumvented, raising doubts about their reliability and potentially compromising user privacy.

"I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts," Albanese stated during an interview with national broadcaster ABC. He highlighted the importance of real-life interactions and experiences, pointing to the mental health consequences that social media exposure can have on young people.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has voiced support for the proposed age restrictions, arguing that every day of inaction leaves children vulnerable to the harms associated with social media.

Despite the calls for regulation, some analysts caution that imposing an age limit may not adequately address the challenges faced by young users. Daniel Angus, director of the digital media research centre at Queensland University of Technology, warned that excluding children from healthy digital engagement could do more harm than good.

Meanwhile, Samantha Schulz, a senior sociologist of education at the University of Adelaide, emphasised the urgent need to regulate the practices of social media platforms themselves, suggesting that young users are not the primary issue.