Albanese called the law, first introduced in November 2024, a “world-leading social media law” that would protect childhood and empower parents as well.
The legislation titled ‘Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024’ was enacted into law on December 10. The act restricts children under 16 from using a host of platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, and Kick.
“Today is exactly one month until our world-leading social media laws come into effect. This is about letting kids be kids. It’s also about empowering parents to be able to have those discussions with their children,” Albanese said, in a video posted on November 10.
Under the act, social media companies are required to “take reasonable steps” to ensure underage kids do not have an account on their respective platforms.
While most of these social media accounts, such as Instagram and Facebook have a default age restriction of 13 years old with parental permission, it appears not as strictly enforced, with several preteens engaging on the platforms with or without parental insight. A study published by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that in the US, almost 40% of children aged 8 to 12 years use social media.
Several studies have linked increased exposure to social media to poor mental health among children. However, the upsides include access to information and better help-seeking behaviour.
Besides Australia, other countries like Denmark and Norway are also aiming to limit access to social media platforms for those below 15 years of age.
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