Australia has become the first country to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from social media platforms, despite concerns from experts about its effectiveness and implementation.
The bill, passed by the Senate with 34 votes to 19, will impose fines of up to AU$50 million (US$32 million) on platforms that fail to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services. The law comes in response to what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as a “clear, causal link” between social media use and declining youth mental health.
Major platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook are expected to be affected, though YouTube will be exempt due to its educational value, according to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. The legislation will not take effect for 12 months, pending trials of age-verification technology set to conclude in mid-2025.
The rushed passage of the bill, which received 15,000 submissions in a single day, has drawn criticism from various quarters. A coalition of 140 experts warned in an open letter that the ban is “too blunt an instrument” that could create additional risks for children who circumvent it.
X owner Elon Musk characterised the law as “a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians”, though a YouGov survey showed 77 percent of Australians support the measure, up from 61 percent in August.
The legislation leaves key implementation details undefined, including specific age verification methods, though the Senate committee has stipulated that platforms cannot require users to submit personal data such as passport information.
“The government is running blindfolded into a brick wall”, said Christopher Stone, executive director of Suicide Prevention Australia, urging authorities to slow down and engage in proper consultation.
The federal opposition has backed the bill while claiming it would have enacted such measures sooner, promising to implement a ban within 100 days if it wins next year’s election.
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