Australia bans social media use for children under-16

The Australian government has approved a social media ban for children aged under 16.

The country’s parliament passed the world’s first law banning under-16s despite safety concerns on Thursday, November 28.

The bill was passed amid warnings that the process had been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation.

The Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated or said they plan to legislate an age restriction on social media amid concern about its mental health impact on young people.

The new law was drafted in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians”.

The parliament’s upper house – Senate, passed a Bill by 34 votes to 19 banning children under 16 from social media platforms.

But academics, politicians, and advocacy groups warned that the ban – as envisioned by the government could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or making them feel more isolated.