Australia has introduced the world’s first nationwide prohibition on social media use for children under 16, preventing access to platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Ten of the largest platforms have been instructed to block underage users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million under the new legislation, which has drawn criticism from major tech firms and free speech advocates but has been welcomed by parents and child welfare groups, reports RTE.
The move is drawing international attention from governments exploring similar age-based restrictions amid rising concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s wellbeing.
“While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last,” Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University, said, reports RTE.
“Governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on. The social media ban in Australia … is very much the canary in the coal mine”, reports RTE.
The introduction of the ban ends months of speculation about whether a government could successfully restrict children from using technologies that have become deeply embedded in everyday life.
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And it initiates a real-time trial that will be scrutinised by policymakers worldwide who are eager to take direct action after expressing frustration that the tech sector has been slow to adopt effective safety and harm-reduction measures, reports RTE.
Governments from Denmark to Malaysia — as well as several US states where platforms have reduced trust and safety efforts — have signalled intentions to follow suit, four years after leaked Meta documents revealed the company knew its products contributed to body image issues and suicidal thoughts among teenagers while publicly denying it.
Although the initial ban applies to ten services, the Australian government has said the list will evolve as new platforms emerge and young people migrate to different apps, reports RTE.
Of those ten, all but Elon Musk’s X have agreed to comply by using age inference — estimating a user’s age based on online behaviour — or age estimation, which generally uses a selfie.
They may also verify age with uploaded ID or linked bank account information, reports RTE.
For social media companies, the rollout signals a new phase of stagnation as user growth slows and time spent on platforms declines, according to recent studies.
Platforms argue they earn little from advertising to users under 16, but they warn the ban disrupts their pipeline of future customers, noting that just before the restrictions began, 86% of Australians aged eight to 15 used social media, reports RTE.
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