Bill to Ban Underage Kids From Social Media to Be Introduced to Australian Parliament

In this photo illustration, a teenage child looks at the screen of a mobile phone in London on Jan. 17, 2023. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Tech companies will likely find themselves in hot water for allowing minors on social media platforms under a new bill to be put forward by the Labor government.

As part of the push, a trial for age verification for children aged 14 to 16 will be held during the year.

“This is a scourge,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC News on Sept. 10.

“Social media has a social responsibility in order to have that social licence that they require to operate in a decent society,” he said.

Albanese said tech companies should not be above the law when determining who should access social media.

“They’re not above everyone else, they can’t just say, ‘We’re a big multinational company, we can do whatever we like regardless of the harm that’s being caused,’” he said.

Albanese said some of the harms caused by overexposure to social media included social harm and the loss of real friends and life experiences.

“Australian young people deserve better and I stand with them and with all Australian parents in protecting our kids,” he said.

“The safety and mental and physical health of our young people is paramount.

“We’re supporting parents and keeping kids safe by taking this action, because enough is enough.”

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns supported the proposed ban, saying the South Australian Labor government had it right with its proposal to set the appropriate age for access at 14 to 16 with parental consent.

“Basically, the parents would have to agree online to let your child have access to social media,” he said.

The Victorian government is also eyeing similar legislation.

The federal opposition says it will back any impending national law.

“We would support the Albanese government introducing an age limit today to deal with this important issue,” said Coalition Leader Peter Dutton on X.

“Every day of delay leaves young kids vulnerable to the harms of social media, and the time for relying on tech companies to enforce age limits is over.”

Studies Confirm Harm

A 2022 study conducted by Australian youth organisation Headspace found 37 percent of young people believed social media was the main factor in their declining mental well-being.

Headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said there were some benefits to young people accessing social media, but problems arose around the amount of time spent in the virtual realm.

“It’s clear from the research that social media is something young people feel is putting more and more pressure on them,” he said in a statement.

“Spending too long on social media is associated with higher levels of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.

“Other impacts include cyberbullying, sleep problems and concerns about body image.”

In July, a grassroots movement to prevent children from spending time on smart phones was introduced by parents.

The Wait Mate campaign encourages parents to pledge to keep their children off smartphones until at least high school age.

Co-founders Jessica Mendoza-Roth and Amy Friedlander were inspired by a similar campaign in the United States.

The pair said most parents supported the Wait Mate movement, which aims to create strength in numbers so parents aren’t struggling with their child being the only one not on social media.

“We are hoping to support and empower parents to stand together on this issue and be connected with aligned parents in their school community through the Wait Mate platform,” Friedlander said.

“Wait Mate wants to help change the status quo in Australia so that addictive smartphones have no place in Australian primary schools, pushing the norm to be at least high school.”