Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to introduce federal legislation this year that will ban children from using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The age limit is expected to be set between 14 and 16 years, with Albanese expressing a preference for a minimum age of 16.
The move aims to reduce the negative impact of social media on young people’s mental health, encouraging them to engage in outdoor activities instead. “I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts,” said Albanese, emphasizing the need for children to have “real experiences with real people.”
The plan has received support from Australia’s conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton. However, experts, like Toby Murray from the University of Melbourne, have raised concerns about the technical feasibility of enforcing an age limit. Others, like Daniel Angus from the Queensland University of Technology, warn that such measures might exclude young people from healthy digital engagement while failing to regulate social media platforms themselves.
Australia has been active in global efforts to regulate social media, challenging platforms like X (formerly Twitter) over the content they host.
