Australia Bans Social Media For Children Under 16 Years Old, Here's The Threat!

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (photo: x @AlboMP)

JAKARTA The Australian government launched a historic bill aimed at banning children under the age of 16 from using social media. This step is also accompanied by the threat of fines of up to USD 49.5 million (approximately IDR 500 billion) for social media platforms that violate systemic rules.

The bill sets the highest age limit compared to other countries and provides no exceptions, both for parental consent and existing accounts. The Australian government plans to test an age verification system that includes biometrics or official identification, making it one of the strictest social media control policies in the world.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed his commitment to protecting the younger generation from the negative effects of social media. This is an important reform. We know some children will try to find loopholes, but our message is clear: social media companies must clean up their actions," said Albanese.

The bill is backed by opposition Liberal Party, but some parties are independent and the Greens are asking for more details. This policy will have an impact on major platforms such as Instagram, Facebook (Meta), TikTok, Snapchat, and X (previously Twitter).

While social media is prohibited, children will still have access to educational and health platforms, such as Headspace, Google Classroom, and YouTube, designed to support mental health and learning.

The government states that excessive use of social media can harm children's physical and mental health, especially the negative impact on the body's image on teenage girls and misogynistic content targeting teenage boys.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland presented worrying data. Almost two-thirds of children aged 14-17 years in Australia have been exposed to harmful content in extremes, such as drug abuse, suicide, or self-injury," he said in front of parliament.

This law will require social media platforms, not parents or young people, to take reasonable steps in implementing age verification protection. To protect privacy, the platform must also destroy the data collected once verified.

Social media has social responsibility... Therefore, we made major changes to ensure the safety of users, added Rowland.

This policy marks a significant step forward in global efforts to regulate the use of social media by children. With a firm and innovative approach, Australia hopes to create a safer and healthier digital space for the younger generation.