Australia moves to tighten under-16 social media ban
9 reported3 unconfirmed
The Australian government plans to strengthen laws that ban children younger than 16 from social media platforms, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Observers said on Friday the government was responding to evidence that the ban on young children holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube had failed since it came into force on Dec. 10 last year. Australia was the first country in the world to pass legislation keeping youth off social media, but others have since followed. Albanese told Parliament on Thursday the government was considering options to strengthen the ban. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Friday the government was asking “are the laws as strong as possible?” and did eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant “have every power at her disposal?” Melbourne’s RMIT University expert on information sciences Lisa Given said the government’s proposed reform was a response to evidence that the ban was failing, including eSafety's own data released in March that showed seven in 10 underage children continued to hold accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok since December.
What’s reported
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is giving priority to strengthening laws banning children under 16 from social media.
The ban came into force on Dec. 10 last year; Australia was the first country to pass such legislation.
Observers said the government was responding to evidence the ban had failed.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in April she was considering court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for not doing enough to keep young children off platforms.
Platforms face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts of young children.
eSafety data released in March showed seven in 10 underage children continued to hold accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok since December.
A study published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday found 85% of a group of Australian 12 to 17-year-olds were using restricted platforms.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Inman Grant saying in early June: “I don’t have potent powers.”
Albanese said the government would proceed with digital duty of care legislation holding platforms accountable for foreseeable harms.
Open questions
Whether the eSafety Commissioner has sufficient powers to enforce the ban, as Inman Grant reportedly said she does not have “potent powers.”
What specific options the government is considering to strengthen the ban.
The accuracy of the Sydney Morning Herald’s reporting on Inman Grant’s comments, as her office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Key figures
Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister
Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner
Lisa Given, RMIT University expert on information sciences
Sources: abcnews.com
