Australia set a standard for countries worldwide with one of the strictest laws against Big Tech when it enacted a social media ban for children under 16 on Thursday, following a passionate debate that engulfed the country.
The legislation requires digital companies, including TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook owner Meta (META), to prevent minors from logging in or risk fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million).
In January, a trial of enforcement strategies will begin, and the ban will go into effect in a year.
Australia’s “Social Media Minimum Age” law positions the country as a model for other countries that have already enacted or have stated plans to enact age restrictions on social media due to worries about the impact these platforms have on youth mental health.
While several US states and France have enacted legislation restricting children’ access without parental consent, the Australian restriction is total.
Florida’s complete prohibition on children under 14 is being contested in court on the basis of free speech.
The law’s passage during a long last day of Australia’s legislative year represents a political victory for center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who faces a 2025 election in the face of declining polling.
According to recent polls, 77% of people supported the prohibition, despite resistance from some child rights organizations and privacy activists.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, spearheaded a campaign called “Let Them Be Kids” to support the ban, following a parliamentary investigation through 2024 that heard testimony from parents of children who had self-harmed as a result of bullying on social media.
