Australia plans to ban social media for users under 16

Australia is moving forward with plans for one of the world's toughest social media restrictions aimed at protecting young users. On Thursday, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government will introduce legislation to prevent users under 16 from accessing social media platforms, citing the risks of online harm.

"Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it," Albanese said during a press briefing, emphasising the need for government action to safeguard young Australians. 

The legislation is set to be introduced in parliament this year, with a 12-month phase-in period after being approved. Notably, the ban will not have exceptions for children with parental consent. Instead, social media platforms themselves will be held responsible for ensuring they prevent underage users from joining.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland explained that major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) will be subject to the legislation. YouTube, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is also expected to fall under its scope.

This proposed law in Australia is among the strictest globally. In comparison, France proposed a social media ban for users under 15 last year, but with an option for parents to approve access. In the United States, tech companies are required to get parental consent to collect data from users under 13, although they don't face a strict ban on access, states a Reuters report.