Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced legislation yesterday to ban social media for children under 16. The proposed law, set to be introduced in Parliament in the coming weeks, would require platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X, to bar access to children and teenage users. There are no exceptions for parental consent.
If approved, companies would have 12 months to implement blocking measures or face potential fines. Albanese said the platforms would bear responsibility, with no penalties for users, arguing the ban is necessary due to social media's harmful effects on young people's mental health. Critics contend an all-out ban will not work and argue that social media is a valuable tool for social support.
About 95% of teens use some kind of social media, spending an average of 4.8 hours daily—41% of high-use teens rate their mental health as poor or very poor. The US Surgeon General has called for tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms.
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