Australia Lawmakers Ban Social Media For Children Under 16, World-first Law

Australian legislators have passed a bill to ban social media for children under the age of 16, and will make platforms liable for fines of up to $50 million for systemic failures to comply.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation by 102 votes to 13; while the Senate passed an amended version on Thursday by 34 votes to 19.  The House on Friday endorsed opposition amendments made in the Senate, making the bill law -- the first such law in the world.

The ban will apply to popular social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook; and they will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts. Companies that fail to comply with the law may be subjected to fines of up to $50 million.

The ban is expected to come into effect by the end of next year, with a one-year grace period for social media platforms to implement the necessary changes.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the ban is necessary to protect children’s mental health and wellbeing; and supports parents concerned by online harms to their children. “Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them,” Albanese told reporters.

However, reactions to the bill have been mixed. While many agree that children should be kept off often toxic and degenerate social media content, others note that such law may be hard to implement without infringing on individual privacy rights and anonymity which are of vital importance to freedom of expression online.

Australia has faced criticisms for its heavy-handed censorship approach to social media. X owner Elon Musk and other free speech advocates have accused Australia of trying to control online speech globally.

Last May, an Australian court denied an attempt by the eSafety Commissioner to extend an injunction ordering X to remove posts showing a violent attack on a Sydney church. The court ruled in favor of X, lifting the temporary block on the footage.