Australia’s Social Media Ban

Syllabus Areas:

GS II - Governance

GS IV - Ethics

Australia has implemented the world’s first nationwide ban on social media access for users under 16, triggering global debate on child mental health, digital regulation, platform accountability, privacy concerns, and whether governments can effectively control youth engagement online.

The New Law: What It Does

  • Australia enacted the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, 2024, enforcing a minimum age of 16 for using major social media platforms.
  • Parental consent is not permitted to override this restriction.
  • Nearly 10 major platforms are covered, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and others.
  • Non-compliant platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million (≈ $33 million).

Government’s Rationale

  • The law aims to protect children’s mental health and well-being.
  • The government identifies social media as a major source of:
    • Cyberbullying
    • Exposure to harmful and age-inappropriate content
    • Online grooming and predatory practices
  • It reflects growing concern that platforms have failed to self-regulate effectively.

Response of Social Media Companies

  • Meta began warning Australian users aged 13–15 to download their data and delete accounts.
  • Australia has an estimated 150,000 Facebook and 350,000 Instagram users in this age group.
  • Platforms are legally required to take “reasonable steps” to block underage users.
  • While complying, companies argue that a blanket ban may:
    • Isolate teenagers from online communities and information
    • Provide uneven or inconsistent protection
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged likely implementation flaws, calling it a learning process.

Age Verification: How It Works

  • Meta plans to notify users once they turn 16 so they can regain access.
  • Errors are possible:
    • Government studies show high false rejection rates in facial age-estimation tools (up to 8.5%).
  • If wrongly flagged, users can verify age using:
    • Government-issued ID, or
    • Video selfie via third-party platform Yoti
  • Critics warn that such methods raise privacy and surveillance concerns, especially for minors.
Australia’s Social Media Ban

Major Drawbacks and Concerns

  • Meta wants Apple and Google app stores to handle age verification centrally to protect privacy and standardise enforcement.
  • Platforms have not disclosed exact verification techniques, raising fears of:
    • Excessive data collection
    • Algorithmic age inference using online behaviour
  • Gaming and communication platforms like Roblox and Discord are tightening age controls to avoid similar regulation.

Why This Law Was Ultimately Passed

  • Strong parental activism and lawsuits against Meta and TikTok revealed troubling internal company communications.
  • Internal reports suggested:
    • Instagram was likened to a “drug” by Meta executives
    • TikTok acknowledged minors lack full cognitive control over screen time
  • Evidence linking heavy usage to depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison was allegedly suppressed.
  • These revelations intensified pressure on governments to intervene decisively.

Global Implications

  • Australia is the first mover, but several countries are now studying the model.
  • The law sets a precedent for:
    • State intervention in digital spaces
    • Reframing social media regulation as a child rights and public health issue, not just a tech policy matter.