Question 1

Why is Australia banning social media for those under 16?

Accepted Answer

Australia’s center-left government says the bill is designed to protect young people, arguing there is a link between social media use and negative mental health outcomes. “For too many young Australians, social media can be harmful,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told Parliament last week when she introduced the bill. “Almost two-thirds of 14-to-17-year-old Australians have viewed extremely harmful content online, including drug abuse, suicide or self-harm as well as violent material. One quarter have been exposed to content promoting unsafe eating habits.” Although the bill is supported by the government and the conservative opposition, it has given Albanese, who has slipped behind in some polls ahead of an election next year, a chance to talk about an issue that is popular among Australians. “This one’s for the mums and dads,” he said when outlining the legislation this month. “I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. And I want Australian parents and families to know that the government has your back.”

Question 2

How would the ban actually work?

Accepted Answer

We don’t know yet, exactly. The Online Safety Amendment, as the law is called, “does not dictate how platforms must comply with the minimum age obligation,” according to its explanatory memorandum. But it requires platforms covered under the legislation “to take reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users” from using their apps. There is no loophole for parental permission, which some other countries have allowed, nor an exception for young people who already have accounts. The age limit will kick in one year from now and will be enforced by the country’s eSafety Commissioner, which expressed concerns over the idea earlier this year but now says it welcomes the law. Many details remain vague, including how social media companies will verify someone’s age. One possibility is to require government-issued identification. Some critics claim the personal information of millions of Australians would be a target for hackers. Rowland has said social media companies must destroy the data and face additional fines up to $33 million for misusing it. Meta and Snapchat have both warned of the logistical and security challenges of requiring every app to verify a user’s age. They argue centralized app stores would make for better social media bouncers. Albanese has sought to downplay the idea of Australians having to prove they are old enough to use social media, likening it to the ban on people under 18 buying alcohol. He says the one-year delay gives the government and social media companies time to figure out how to implement it.

Question 3

Which platforms will be covered by the ban?

Accepted Answer

The age limit doesn’t apply to all social media but targets Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X. It has some exemptions for “services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end-users.” The government has said that includes the Headspace and Kids Helpline mental health apps, as well as Google Classroom and YouTube. Among those advocating for the exemption were the Wiggles, a popular Australian children’s music group that says Australians have watched its programs on YouTube more than 1 billion times. While children under 16 will be able to continue watching videos on YouTube, they will not be able to sign into the platform under the legislation, said Lisa Given, a professor of information sciences at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. That will protect them from potentially harmful messages but not from questionable content. The legislation also exempts messaging, including WhatsApp, and online gaming.

Question 4

What do the detractors say?

Accepted Answer

Instead of forcing social media companies to clean up their platforms, the legislation will give them an excuse to carry on business as usual — at least for Australians 16 and older, according to many experts who study social media or children’s health. “This won’t in and of itself actually improve safety standards for all users,” said Philippa Collin, co-director of the Young and Resilient Research Center at Western Sydney University. “What it does do is punish young people and prevents them from accessing spaces that we know also have significant benefits.” Young people who find ways around the age limit using a VPN or other means could face even greater danger because they will be less likely to seek help, she said. Many young Australians use social media to organize, as with the School Strike 4 Climate Action, Gordon noted. And marginalized youths, including members of the LGBTQ community, often rely on social media for connection and education. “Young people’s political and civil rights are really going to be constrained in that regard,” she said. Those concerns led the Australian Human Rights Commission to come out against the bill last week. There are other ways to protect children without curtailing their rights, it said, suggesting social media companies could be required to make their products safer. Albanese’s government has said it will also introduce a “duty of care” bill, similar to recent laws in the European Union and the United Kingdom, that would require social media companies to be more transparent about their algorithms and enable Australians to make complaints when they experience harmful content.

Question 5

What do Australian children under 16 say?

Accepted Answer

Children are also split over the legislation. Some who have experienced bullying on social media platforms support the idea. But others warn it could cut them off from friends and online communities. “This [ban] destroys … my friendships and the ability to make people feel seen,” Lucas Lane, a 15-year-old in Perth who runs an online business selling nail polish to boys, told the BBC. Several students told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the ban would make it harder to keep in touch with friends. One girl worried about how she would communicate with a friend at another school. “I only have Snapchat to talk to her,” she said.

Can you stop a teen from using TikTok? Australia is about to find out.