Australian government plans to ban children from using social media

The Australian Government is seeking public and expert views on what the minimum age should be for children to use social media. The options are 14, 15 or 16. The aim is to protect children from the negative effects of social media.

However, the specific age will be decided after the completion of the testing of new age verification technologies. The choice of the minimum age will depend on the results of the evaluation of the effectiveness of these technologies and the input from experts, social organizations and the public.

Children under 16 may no longer have unfettered access to popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram later this year. The federal government is rushing to finalize a bill on age restrictions for social media use, aimed at protecting children from negative impacts such as online addiction, online bullying and exposure to harmful content.

Social media companies will have to take the drastic step of completely banning children under 13 from their platforms, under new proposals from the South Australian government. Businesses that fail to comply will face severe penalties.

Restricting children’s use of social media has officially become a priority for both major political parties in Australia. After the Coalition announced its support for the ban in June, both parties have pledged to find a comprehensive solution to protect children from the negative effects of social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed concern about the impact of social media on children and said the government is looking closely at setting an age limit for using these platforms. Mr Albanese said that although the 14-16 age range is being considered, he personally supports a higher limit. However, the Prime Minister also stressed that implementing such a measure is not simple and requires careful study.

Prime Minister Albanese has stressed the importance of a unified national response to the issue, rather than leaving it up to individual states to come up with solutions. He has expressed deep concern that social media is increasingly replacing face-to-face social interactions between children and their friends and family, depriving them of valuable real-life experiences.

“We recognise the growing concern among parents about this situation and are determined to find effective solutions to protect the future of our young people,” the Australian Prime Minister said.

“Youth is the golden period for physical and mental development. Therefore, ensuring the safety and overall health of young people is extremely important. Not only physical health, mental health also plays a key role in shaping their future. That is the reason why many parents, including me, always want their children to spend time away from the phone screen, immersing themselves in healthy sports activities such as football. Because the football field not only helps children exercise but is also a place for them to interact, make friends and develop necessary life skills,” Prime Minister Albanese shared.

The legislation will be developed in close collaboration with the South Australian Government and other states and territories. The draft legislation will undergo a thorough review process led by the South Australian Government, which will ensure that the legislation is finalised and published in a transparent manner, ensuring it is consistent with current needs and legal requirements.

The debate over age restrictions on social media in Australia is heating up. While opposition leader Peter Dutton has proposed a complete ban on social media platforms for children and teenagers under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed support for the idea of ​​raising the minimum age for registering an account to 16. However, the Greens have gone in a different direction, arguing that instead of banning, educating about the harmful effects of social media is the effective solution.

It is very important to determine the minimum age.

The federal government is actively researching and testing various methods for verifying the age of users accessing social media platforms and adult websites. These methods range from requiring identification to using facial recognition technology or analyzing online behavior.

This new phase focuses on developing and testing innovative tools to protect children from inappropriate content. The government will actively engage technology companies in this process, working together to build a safer online environment for young people, especially 13-16 year olds.

Nowadays, most social media platforms or adult websites only require users to check a box to confirm that they are of age. This is quite easy but opens up many security holes.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has warned that the early exposure of children to social media is an urgent issue that requires drastic measures. Scientific evidence is mounting that early social media addiction is having a serious impact on children’s mental health and development.

“Like tobacco and alcohol, social media is causing serious harm to children’s health and development. It is time for governments to take drastic action to protect the next generation,” added Mr. Peter Malinauskas.

Tech experts worry about privacy

Mandatory age verification is a highly controversial issue. While it is expected to better protect children, the measure has also been met with concerns about privacy and feasibility.

Professor Daniel Angus, a digital media expert, shared his views on the issue. According to him, age verification can have serious consequences for users' privacy and is not a long-term solution. He said that online platforms can easily find ways to "circumvent the law" and imposing this regulation can cause unintended consequences.

Mr Angus stressed that we need a more comprehensive approach to this issue, combining user education, increasing the responsibility of online platforms and building a safer and healthier online environment.

Meanwhile, Belinda Barnett, a senior lecturer in communications at Swinburne University in Australia, has a conflicting view on age verification on social media. As a parent, she supports the idea, but as a researcher, she is concerned about privacy issues.

“Collecting personal information from users, especially children, for age verification is inevitable,” said Ms. Barnett. “However, this raises the question of whether we want to entrust this sensitive information to social media platforms?”

This issue poses a difficult problem for policymakers and social media platforms: how to protect children without violating users' privacy.