Australian lawmakers approved a landmark rule on Thursday, November 28 by banning social media use for those under 16 targeting platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.
The bill which has gained bipartisan support now mandates social media companies to take ‘reasonable steps to prevent young teens from creating accounts.
The legislation which passed the lower chamber of Parliament on Wednesday and the Senate late Thursday is now set to become law. The Centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is eyeing an early election next year has strongly supported the new measures and urged Australian parents to back them.
Ahead of the vote, Albanese described social media as “a platform for peer pressure, a source of anxiety, a breeding ground for scammers, and, most concerning, a tool for online predators.”
He called for young Australians to “put down their phones and head to the footy and cricket fields, the tennis and netball courts and the swimming pool.”
Young Aussies push back against social media ban
Young Australians like 12-year-old Angus Lydom are not impressed by the new legislation.
“I’d like to keep using it. It’ll feel weird not to have it, and I won’t be able to talk to all my friends at home,” he told AFP
Many are likely to look for ways around the ban. “I’ll find a way. And so will all my other friends,” Lydom added.
Similarly, 11-year-old Elsie Arkinstall believes social media still has a place, especially for children wanting to watch tutorials on baking or art—content commonly found on social platforms. “Kids and teens should be able to explore those techniques because you can’t learn everything from books,” she explained.
On paper, the ban is among the strictest globally. However, the legislation lacks specific details on how it will be enforced, raising concerns among experts that it could be an unenforceable symbolic measure. The full details will be worked out over the next 12 months before the ban takes effect.
Some companies, including WhatsApp and YouTube, may be granted exemptions as they are often used by teens for schoolwork, recreation, and other purposes.
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