Australia’s state and territory leaders have been rallied by the prime minister to help implement a minimum age for social media access.
Anthony Albanese has written to premiers and chief ministers in a bid to elicit insight into what changes are needed and just how they can be enacted.
The request include evidence on a preferred age limit, how parental consent can be factored in and the impact of phone bans in schools.
Each leader has also been asked to provide information on the need for exemptions.
Albanese said there needed to be incentives for young Australians to get off devices and into other activities.
“We know social media is doing social harm. We need to do everything we can to keep our kids safe and to help them grow up happy, healthy, and confident,” he said.
“We want to see kids off their devices and onto footy fields and netball courts. Kids should be having real experiences with real people.”
Albanese asked for alternate sources of social connection, activity, and community development for young people that might reduce reliance on social media and encourage activity.
This was in addition to an assessment of the impacts of withdrawals by current social media users under a minimum age and any supports that might be required.
Albanese said any laws around access to social media were the responsibility of all levels of government.
“Legislating a minimum age for social media access is about protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them,” he said.
“Protecting children from harm is a shared responsibility across all governments, as well as industry, civil society, and communities.”
The federal government has outlined plans to introduce laws by the end of the year to ban young people from social media, citing mental health, and safety concerns.
While an exact age has not been determined, age verification trials are underway to determine how moves to bar young people from social media platforms could be enforced.
