Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a plan on Thursday to ban social media in the country for people under 16. If the measure passes, it would create some of the strictest laws on the use of social media by minors in the world.Â
Under the law, which will be proposed later this month in Parliament and could go into effect as early as late 2025, children under at 16 would be banned from platforms such as TikTok and Facebook with no exceptions, even if they already have accounts or have parental permission.
This comes after nearly 150 organizations in Australia sent an open letter to the government urging it to address the dangers of social media to young people.Â
"This one's for the mums and dads. Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese said in a press conference.Â
The ban would penalize social media companies that do not keep those under 16 off their platforms, but wouldn't punish parents or children. Australia is working on an age verification system that could include biometrics or the use of a government ID to help enforce the rule. In the United States, most social media platforms ban users under the age of 13, but there are exceptions for children with parental permissions and enforcement of the rule has not been strict.
The Digital Industry Group, which represents companies including Meta and X, said it's opposed to the measure and believes the measure could block access to support services for young people. "Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect young people from online harm," a spokesperson for the group told Reuters.