Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new law aimed at banning children under 16 from social media, which he described as a “world-leading” policy.
Unlike similar laws elsewhere, Australia’s legislation would not allow minors access even with parental consent, making it among the strictest globally.
The law is set to be introduced this year, with a 12-month implementation period following parliamentary ratification.
Major social media platforms, including Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X, and Alphabet’s YouTube, would be required to ensure compliance and prevent under-16 access.
Australia’s policy is stricter than other countries’ approaches, such as France’s, which allows access to children under 15 with parental consent. In the U.S., social media restrictions target data collection for users under 13, often resulting in platform bans for that age group, Reuters news report said.
