‘Parents are worried sick’: PM confirms plans to impose social media age restriction
The Albanese government has announced plans for a nationwide social media ban for children, with the specific age limit yet to be confirmed.
Legislation is set to be introduced into parliament before the next election in 2025 to protect young teenagers against the damage caused by social media platforms.
The government is anticipated to use a report by former High Court chief justice Robert French, commissioned by South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas.
Malinauskas has suggested a complete ban for children under 13 and requiring parental consent for those aged 14 and 15.
French recommends setting the age limit at 14 and mandating that social media and other companies obtain parental consent for children aged 14 or 15 before they can access their platforms.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese will make the announcement on Tuesday.
“We know that technology moves fast. No government is going to be able to protect every child from every threat – but we have to do all we can,” he said.
“Parents are worried sick about this. We know they’re working without a map – no generation has faced this challenge before.”
It is unclear what will happen to the social media accounts of children who already use the platform.
It comes after Meta last week called for tightened parental controls and for the onus to be put on app stores regarding age restrictions for social media, denying claims this is simply “shirking responsibility for age verification or safety”.
Speaking after Albanese’s announcement, Michael “Wippa” Wipfli – who fronts the 36 Months campaign, representing the three years of crucial development between 13 and 16 that should be spent away from social media – welcomed the news.
“If we’re going to act and change legislation, let’s not shift it by one year to the right. It’s a watered-down execution on what should be a courageous course of action,” Wipfli said.
“Let’s do this properly. It must be 16 to give our kids time to get to know themselves before the rest of the world does.”
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News Corp taking a victory lap for championing this as if it had anything to do with kids safety or parents’ concern.
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Can we ban all the adults with less intelligence than a 13 year old from using socials too?
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As if a 13 year old kid won’t be able to get around this. More regulation so that fines can be imposed for ‘our safety’.
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There’s already an age limit on these apps of 13. Kids lie. How can this be enforced?
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An age minimum on social media but not criminal responsibility. So a
10 year old won’t be able to access instagram but can be charged, strip searched and sentenced. Make it make sense.
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Thank you Government for saving us from ourselves
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I’d prefer a social media ban for the elderly. I think we’ve well proven facebook makes them crazier. They think it’s the news.
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Prohibition has worked so well in the past.
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