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New Delhi: Setting a global precedent, Australia has become the first country to ban social media usage for children under 16. Platforms including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram have been ordered to block their content for teens. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban will assert the “right of kids to be kids”. As the order was implemented, Albanese also shared a video message calling it "a day when families are taking back power".
Albanese, in the video message, said that the ban was a chance for the families to take back power from big tech firms and assert rights for kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind.
Recognising that modern parenting comes with unprecedented challenges — from algorithms to endless feeds — Albanese said these were “pressures no generation has had to deal with”. He underlined that the ban has been brought in to keep children safe online.
"This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced," Albanese told a news conference on Wednesday.
The social media ban was introduced through the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, which the Australian Parliament passed a year ago.
A total of 10 big platforms were ordered to block their content for children from midnight on Tuesday or face a fine of up to $33 million, according to a Reuters report.
The ban will result in deactivation of accounts of more than one million (10 lakh) users under 16 in Australia.
The ban has drawn flak from major technology companies and free speech advocates. However, it has been hailed by many parents and child advocates.
Many of the roughly one million children affected by the new law started posting messages bidding farewell to their online followers. "No more social media... no more contact with the rest of the world," wrote one teen on TikTok. Another said:"#seeyouwhenim16." Just ahead of the ban, 86% of Australians aged eight to 15 used social media, the government had said.
Elon Musk's X became the last of the 10 major platforms to take steps to cut off access to underage teens after publicly acknowledging on Wednesday that it would comply, the Reuters report said. "It's not our choice - it's what the Australian law requires," X said on its website. "X automatically offboards anyone who does not meet our age requirements."
The deaths of two teenagers may have prompted the Anthony Albanese–led government to take this huge step. One was the death of 14-year-old Oliver “Ollie” Hughes, who was found dead in his bedroom. Her mother, Mia Bannister, believes social media played a huge role in his struggle with anorexia nervosa and ultimately leading to his suicide.
Bannister reportedly said that her teenage son became obsessed with TikTok videos of males “bulking up” while he started hating his own body. According to reports, in February, Ollie weighed 74 kg, but by December his weight had fallen to below 50 kg. He was hospitalised after being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Apps like TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube reportedly showed him content that fuelled his eating disorder, Bannister told AFP. Ollie also missed 125 days of school because of his body dysmorphia, and his mother says this may have fuelled the bullying he faced.
In another case, Emma Mason also lost her daughter Matilda ‘Tilly’ Rosewarne to suicide. She puts the blame on social media for driving the 15-year-old to suicide. She is believed to have taken the extreme step after she was bullied on social media, including the use of fake nude imagery.
A number of countries — from Denmark to Malaysia — have suggested that they may examine or emulate Australia’s approach, making the country a test case for how far governments can push age-gating without hindering speech or innovation.
In the UK, the Online Safety Act lays down stricter norms for social media platforms, including age restrictions to block minors from accessing harmful content. In 2023, the law was passed and enforcement started this year. There's no age limit set for accessing social media.
In November, Denmark said that it would prohibit social media for children under 15, while still allowing parents to grant exemptions for children as young as 13 to access certain platforms.
In 2023, France passed a law which requires social platforms to get parental nod for children under 15 to create accounts. However, the law is facing technical challenges. Similar steps are also being taken in Germany and Italy.
In November, Malaysia also said it would ban social media for minors under the age of 16 starting next year.
