Australia Bans Social Media Use For Children Under 16
The Australian government has approved a social media ban for children aged under 16.
The country’s parliament passed the world’s first law banning under-16s despite safety concerns on Thursday, November 28.
The bill was passed amid warnings that the process had been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation.
The Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated or said they plan to legislate an age restriction on social media amid concern about its mental health impact on young people.
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The new law was drafted in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians”.
The parliament’s upper house – Senate, passed a Bill by 34 votes to 19 banning children under 16 from social media platforms.
But academics, politicians, and advocacy groups warned that the ban – as envisioned by the government could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or making them feel more isolated.