Children under 16 can no longer access 10 of the world’s biggest platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
Australia has banned children under 16 from accessing social media, in a world first, as other countries consider similar age-based measures amid growing concerns about their effects on children’s health and safety.
Under the new law, which came into force at midnight local time on Wednesday (1:00 p.m. GMT Tuesday), 10 of the biggest platforms face a $33 million fine if they fail to purge Australian users under the age of 16.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The law was criticized by big tech companies and free speech advocates, but praised by parents and children’s advocates.
The Australian government says unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from “predatory algorithms” that fill phone screens with bullying, sex and violence.
“Too often, social media is not social at all,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said before the ban.
“Instead, it is used as a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, an engine of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators.”
The law states that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Reddit are prohibited from creating or maintaining accounts belonging to Australian users under the age of 16.
Streaming platforms Kick and Twitch are also on the government’s blacklist, as are discussion forums Threads and
Meta, YouTube and other social media giants have already condemned the ban.
YouTube, in particular, attacked the law, calling it “rushed” and saying it would only push children into deeper, darker corners of the internet.
While most platforms have reluctantly agreed to comply, for now, legal challenges are ongoing.
Online discussion site Reddit said on Tuesday it could not confirm local media reports that it would seek to overturn the ban in Australia’s High Court.
Sydney-based internet rights group Digital Freedom Project has already launched its own bid to get teenagers back onto social media.
Some parents, tired of seeing their children glued to their phones, see this ban as a relief.
Dany Elachi, a father of five, said the restrictions were a long overdue “line in the sand”.
“We need to be careful before putting anything addictive in the hands of children,” he told the AFP news agency.
The Australian government admits the ban will be far from perfect initially and that crafty teenagers will find ways around it.
Social media companies are solely responsible for verifying that users are 16 years of age or older.
Some platforms say they will use AI tools to estimate age based on photos, while younger users can also choose to prove their age by uploading a government ID.
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the world grapple with the potential dangers of social media.
Malaysia has said it plans to introduce a similar ban next year.
Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said last week that the European Commission, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania and New Zealand were also interested in setting a minimum age for social media.
