Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today announced plans for a strict ban on social media access for kids under 16. The idea? Keep teens away from what Albanese calls the “harm” social media is causing—especially for those vulnerable to body image pressures and negative messaging targeted at boys.
“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said at a press event.
The new rule could kick in by late 2025, and Australia’s already trialing an age-verification system that platforms would have to implement to make it all stick.
With bipartisan backing, the proposed legislation is set to hit Parliament later this year and won’t leave any loopholes for parental consent or pre-existing accounts. If it goes through, the onus won’t be on parents or teens; instead, it’ll be on the platforms themselves to keep kids out.
Major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and X are all in the crosshairs. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland pointed out that these companies would need to get serious about enforcing the age limit.
TikTok declined to comment, while Meta, Alphabet, and X were tight-lipped as well.
This isn’t the first time a country’s tried to rein in social media access for minors—France floated a similar ban for kids under 15 last year, though it allowed parental consent as a workaround. In the US, parental consent for users under 13 has been standard for years, making it tough for younger kids to get on these platforms.
If Australia’s plan takes off, it might set a new benchmark for youth online protection, and other countries could soon follow their lead. The world may well be watching to see if Australia can pull this off and keep social media giants in check.
