Australia to Ban Children From Social Media

Australia is set to introduce legislation that will ban children from using social media, with a proposed age limit potentially as high as 16 years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described social media as a "scourge" on youth mental health, emphasizing the need for children to engage in real-world activities rather than spending excessive time online.

The exact age limit is still under consideration but is expected to range between 14 and 16 years. Albanese has expressed his preference for restricting users below 16. "I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts," he said, highlighting the importance of physical activities over digital engagement.

Age verification trials are currently underway, although experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of enforcing such bans.

Toby Murray, an associate professor in computing and information technology at the University of Melbourne, pointed out that "present age verification methods are unreliable, too easy to circumvent, or risk user privacy."

Despite these challenges, Australia's conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton supports the initiative. "Every day of delay leaves young kids vulnerable to the harms of social media," he stated, urging immediate action. However, not everyone agrees that an age limit will solve the problem.

Daniel Angus, who leads the digital media research centre at Queensland University of Technology, warned that it "threatens to create serious harm by excluding young people from meaningful, healthy participation in the digital world."

Samantha Schulz, a senior sociologist of education at the University of Adelaide, added, "There is logic in establishing boundaries that limit young people’s access." Prime Minister Albanese also stressed the need for social media companies to take responsibility for the content on their platforms. "These social media companies think they’re above everyone," he said. "Well, they have a social responsibility and at the moment, they’re not exercising it. And we’re determined to make sure that they do."