Map shows how old you must be to have social media across the globe
The Australian government has announced a ‘world-leading’ legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media.
The move is part of Australia’s efforts to curb the physical and mental health issues brought about by children’s social media use.
They cited the affect harmful body image depictions can have on girls and the influence of misogynistic content on young boys as two of their reasons for the change.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that there would be no exemptions to the laws, even if children are given parental consent.
The ban, though, would not apply to those young people already on social media and is not set to be put into action until 12 months after the legislation is passed.
Mr Albanese said: ‘This one is for the mums and dads. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back.
‘Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it.
‘If you’re a 14-year-old kid getting this (social media content) stuff, at a time where you’re going through life’s changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time and what we’re doing is listening and then acting.
‘The onus would be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people.’
The proposed ban received backlash from the Digital Industry Group, a body which represents sites including TikTok and X, that said the measure could actually prompt kids to explore darker parts of the internet.
They argued: ‘Keeping young people safe online is a top priority, but the proposed ban for teenagers to access digital platforms is a 20th century response to 21st century challenges.
‘Rather than blocking access through bans, we need to take a balanced approach to create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect people from harm online.’
Earlier this year, Spain too introduced new legislation to protect children from the dangers of social media.
Their new laws ruled that minors under the age of 16 will not be allowed to access or register on social networks – an increase from 14.
Spanish Justice Minister, Feliz Bolaños said: ‘We want to give families the peace if mind that when their children are in a digital environment, they can be sure that the government of Spain cares for them.’
In Ireland, children must also be 16 to sign and use social media.
Most other countries in the world allow children to create Instagram and such other accounts at the age of 13, usually with parental consent. Those include England, Wales, New Zealand, Italy, France and the Netherlands.
The United States has for decades required tech companies to seek parental consent to access data of children under 13, which is why social media use is banned for those under that age in most countries.
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