Anger, relief greet Australia under-16 social media ban
SYDNEY—Australians reacted on Friday with a mixture of anger and relief to a social media ban on children under 16 that the government says is world-leading, but which tech giants like TikTok argue could push young people to “darker corners of the internet.”
Australia approved the social media ban for children late on Thursday after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to $32 million.
A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect in a year.
“Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday
“We’re making sure that mums and dads can have that different conversation today and in future days.”
Announcing the details of the ban earlier this month, Albanese cited the risks to physical and mental health of children from excessive social media use, in particular the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image, and misogynist content aimed at boys.
‘Affront’ to democracy
In Sydney on Friday, reaction to the ban was mixed.
“I think that’s a great idea, because I found that the social media for kids (is) not really appropriate, sometimes they can look at something they shouldn’t,” said Sydney resident Francesca Sambas.
Others were more scathing.
“I’m very angry, I feel that this government has taken democracy and thrown it out the window,” said 58-year-old Shon Klose.
“How could they possibly make up these rules and these laws and push it upon the people?”
Children, meanwhile, said they would try to find a way around the ban.
“I feel like I still will use it, just secretly get in,” said 11-year-old Emma Wakefield.
Test case
The Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated or said they plan to legislate an age restriction on social media amid concern about its mental health impact on young people.
Countries including France and some US states have passed laws to restrict access for minors without a parent’s permission, but the Australian ban is absolute. A full under-14s ban in Florida is being challenged in court on free speech grounds.
Albanese’s Labor party won crucial support from the opposition conservatives for the bill that was fast-tracked through the country’s parliament as part of 31 bills pushed through in a chaotic final day of parliament for the year.
The government has said enough notice was given as it first flagged the ban after a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year that heard testimony from parents of children who had self-harmed due to cyberbullying.
But it was criticized by social media firms and some lawmakers who say the bill has lacked proper scrutiny.
A spokesperson for TikTok, which is hugely popular with teen users, said on Friday the process had been rushed and risked putting children into greater danger.
“We’re disappointed the Australian government has ignored the advice of the many mental health, online safety, and youth advocacy experts who have strongly opposed the ban,” the spokesperson said.
