Country becomes first in the world to ban social media for children under 16

A country has passed a bill banning children under the age of 16 from using social media.

Yesterday (November 28), lawmakers approved a landmark ban on social media for children under the age of 16, which will result in them no longer having access to apps such as Twitter and Instagram.

Details of the ban

The ban will see children under 16 unable to access social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit, however, they will be able to use YouTube.

The responsibility to enforce the strict measures and verify whether users are under 16 or not is placed on the social media platforms themselves and should they fail to do so, they will now be liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million).

The bill was passed with an overwhelming majority of support from lawmakers, the Senate passing the bill with 34 votes to 19 and the House of Representatives approving the legislation by 102 votes to 13.

However, the country - Australia - is giving social media platforms a year to figure out how to implement the ban.

Children under 16 are banned from using social media in Australia (Getty Stock Images)

Reason for the ban

The ban was proposed in a bid to try and negate the potentially damaging effects of social media on children's both mental and physical health.

Maria Kovacic told the Senate, as quoted by AP News: "The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms.

"This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters: "Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them."

However, the ban has faced criticism, even from mental health campaigners.

The ban was presented as a way of safeguarding children's mental wellbeing (Getty Stock Images)

Response to the ban

Executive director of Suicide Prevention Australia, Christopher Stone, said: "Social media provides vital connections for many young Australians, allowing them to access mental health resources, peer support networks, and a sense of community. Cutting off this access risks exacerbating feelings of loneliness and isolation."

Many who oppose the ban argue it will result in a generation of young people who are less technologically literate and concerns have also been raised about how the age verification will work, some arguing biometrics or government identification are a breach of privacy.

Elon Musk - unsurprisingly - has spoken out against the ban, stating in a post to Twitter: "Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians."

Meta Platforms said in a statement: "Naturally, we respect the laws decided by the Australian Parliament. However, we are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people."

And managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc., Sunita Bose, added: "The social media ban legislation has been released and passed within a week and, as a result, no one can confidently explain how it will work in practice – the community and platforms are in the dark about what exactly is required of them."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.