Contemporary politics,local and international current affairs, science, music and extracts from the Queensland Newspaper "THE WORKER" documenting the proud history of the Labour Movement.
MAHATMA GANDHI ~ Truth never damages a cause that is just.
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Australia's social media ban for under-16s starts today. Here is what you should know.
Millions of Australians aged under 16 are now banned from having social media accounts. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)
Link copied
Australia's
social media ban for people aged under 16 has officially started,
marking a world-first push to protect children from phone addiction and
online harms.
From now on, a
group of social media platforms will face penalties of up to $50 million
if they do not take "reasonable steps" to prevent children and
teenagers aged under 16 from holding a social media account.
In
a video address, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraged kids to
"make the most of school holidays coming up, rather than spending it
scrolling on your phone".
"Start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read that book that's been sitting there on your shelf for some time," he said.
"Importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family, face to face."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses students about the social media ban.
The government's list of age-restricted apps will almost certainly grow in the coming weeks.
Australia's
online safety watchdog is keeping an eye out for other platforms that
fit the criteria, and tech companies are required to constantly monitor
if they are likely to be captured by the restrictions at any time.
Some
underage users have previously vowed to find a way around the ban, and
the law only says platforms must take "reasonable steps" to prevent them
from having accounts.
How a social media app determines a user's age will vary from platform to platform.
In
many cases, a platform can reasonably infer someone's age by looking at
how long an account has existed and by examining their posts and
personal networks.
One way is
to request a government-issued ID, such as a driver's licence, though
platforms are prohibited from compelling users to provide ID and must
offer an alternative.
Underage
users might be able to reactivate their accounts once they turn 16, but
that is not guaranteed, and it all depends on the platform.
Social media apps must determine if a user is too young to have an account. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Every platform is using a different approach, and it is likely some teenagers will slip through the cracks.
Besides, people under 16 will still be able to see publicly available social media content that does not require a login.
In other words, it will not be flawless.
But
the Australian government insists it is worth trying anyway if it means
protecting children from endless "doom-scrolling" and other harms such
as cyberbullying and grooming.
Though the move is popular with many parents, some kids in regional towns say the ban will worsen isolation — particularly for LGBTQIA+ teens, who have found acceptance and support from online communities.
Two teenagers have taken their fight against the ban all the way to the High Court.
The group initially announced in November that they were trying to stall the laws, but the court will hear a special case next year instead.
Other young people have welcomed the ban, saying they resent the way tech companies keep them hooked by using their data to develop addictive algorithms.
Australia's
social media ban marks the first time a nation has attempted to take on
the big tech giants — and the world is watching closely to see how it
unfolds.
The European Union is now considering similar bans,
as well as proposals for a late-night "curfew", an age verification
app, and limits on addictive features such as infinite scrolling and
excessive push notifications.
Malaysia
is set to join the list of countries restricting access to social
media, with its own ban for under-16s coming into effect on January 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment