"Deeply concerned"

Australia: No social media before the age of 16

Prime Minister Albanese warns of "social damage" caused by social media.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com - ©REDPIXEL)

In future, the Australian government will only allow children and young people to access social media from the age of 16. "I have spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and they, like me, are deeply concerned about the online safety of our children," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. 

The bill is due to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Friday and introduced to parliament later this month. After that, however, it could take another year or so for the new regulation to come into force, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported. "This is world-leading legislation and we want to make sure we get it right," Labor leader Albanese emphasized.

"Social damage"
The head of government had already announced the plans in September and described the effect of online networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Co. on children as a "scourge". He wants children to have a childhood: "We know that social media causes social harm and keeps children away from real friends and real experiences."

The opposition also supports the move. "We don't believe TikTok can ever be made safe for children, we don't believe Snapchat can ever be made safe for children and we don't believe Instagram can be safe for children," said Liberal Party communications spokesman David Coleman.

Technical questions still open
How access is to be technically controlled was still unclear. However, the obligation to check the minimum age of users should not fall to parents, but to tech companies and internet platforms. According to the plans, there will be no penalties for users.