Australia’s Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, has introduced a groundbreaking law in parliament that seeks to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media. Announcing the legislation, Rowland emphasized that online safety has become one of the biggest challenges for parents. This is the first law of its kind to be proposed globally.
Under the proposed legislation, social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram will face a hefty fine of AUD 50 million if they create accounts for children under 16 despite the ban.
Rowland highlighted in parliament that social media has proven harmful for many young Australians. She revealed that nearly 75% of Australians aged 14 to 17 have encountered extremely harmful content online, including materials promoting drug use, suicide, self-harm, and violence. Furthermore, 25% of children have been exposed to content encouraging unsafe eating habits.
Government research indicates that 95% of Australian parents consider online safety one of the toughest challenges in raising their children.
Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, has warned that Australia could take this law further, potentially imposing internet restrictions on all Australians through backdoor controls.
