Australian Kids & Teens Lose Social Media As World-First Ban Takes Effect
Over a million Australian kids and teenagers under age 16 can no longer access 10 popular social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Snapchat, Kick, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube.
Not banned: Roblox, YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, and Pinterest.
Some parents online have criticized not banning Roblox, which Australian police have warned hosts extremists, and some users say they’ve experienced sexual harassment on the platform. But it was excluded because its primary purpose is gaming.
The ban makes Australia the first country to institute a youth ban and provides a potential model for other nations.
WHAT THE BAN LOOKS LIKE
The goal is to protect children from addictive social media algorithms that have been linked to increased mental health struggles.
The responsibility to block accounts falls on the social media companies — not parents or teens. Companies that fail to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent kids under 16 from accessing their platforms could face fines of up to $33 million.
All major platforms except Elon Musk’s X have said they will comply, with many sending messages to users.
IG, Facebook, TikTok messages to users. Via: Reuters
How it could look: Companies are expected to verify users’ ages by estimating age from online activity or using selfies, and in some cases by checking uploaded ID documents or linked bank account details.
The government’s only guidelines are that requesting an ID cannot be the only form of age check.
In a video message that will be played to kids in schools this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese explained the ban and called on students to, “Make the most of the school holidays coming up. Rather than spending it scrolling on your phone, start a new sport, learn a new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf.”
MORE TO COME?
Australian officials said the banned platform list would change as new products are rolled out. Other countries are looking toward Australia’s ban as a potential model: Brazil, the UK, Spain, Malaysia, and Indonesia have announced plans to impose age restrictions on social media.
Some U.S. states are not far behind. Here’s a look at state legislation in various stages of enforcement, with many measures either tied up in court or still being implemented:
Nebraska: Platforms must verify users’ ages, obtain parental consent for minor accounts.
Utah, Texas, Louisiana: App stores must verify users’ ages, get parental consent for minors’ downloads.
New York is moving to ban “addictive” feeds for minors.
California: Devices must enable parents to opt-in to sharing their child’s age with app developers.
Florida recently won a ruling that will let the state proceed with a ban on teens under 14 from social media, while 15-year-olds may join with parental consent.