Australian social media ban on under-16s approved by Senate

Australia will ban children under 16 from using social media after its Senate passed the world’s strictest laws.

The ban, which will come into effect in 12 months at the earliest, could see tech companies fined up to A$50m (US$32.5m; £25.7m) for non-compliance.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation is necessary to protect young people from the “harms” of social media, something many parent groups have echoed.

But critics say questions about how the ban works – and its impact on privacy and social contacts – remain unanswered.

This is not the first global attempt to restrict children’s use of social media, but it is the highest age limit set by any country and there are no exceptions for existing users or those with parental consent.

“This is a global issue and we want young Australians to essentially have a childhood,” Mr Albanese said last week as he introduced the bill in the House of Commons. “We want parents to have peace of mind.”

After the bill passed the Senate late Thursday by a vote of 34-19, it will be sent back to the House of Representatives – where the administration has a majority, meaning it is certain to pass – where it will approve changes before being passed in force occurs.

The legislation does not specify which platforms will be banned. These decisions will later be made by Australia’s Communications Minister, who will seek advice from the eSafety Commissioner – an internet regulator that will enforce the rules.

Excluded are gaming and messaging platforms, as well as websites that can be accessed without an account, so YouTube, for example, is likely to be spared.

The government says it will use some form of age verification technology when implementing the restrictions, and options will be tested in the coming months. It is the responsibility of the social media platforms to add these processes themselves.

But digital researchers have warned that there is no guarantee that the unspecified technology – which could be based on biometrics or identity information – will work. Critics also demanded assurances that privacy would be protected.

They have also warned that restrictions could easily be bypassed through tools such as a VPN – which can mask a user’s location and make it appear that they are logging in from another country.

However, children who find ways to break the rules are not punished.

Polling on the reforms, while limited, suggests they are supported by a majority of Australian parents and carers.

“For far too long, parents have had the impossible choice of either giving in and getting their child an addictive substance or seeing their child isolated and feeling left out,” Amy Friedlander, who was among those pushing for the ban, recently told the BBC.

“We are trapped in a norm that no one wants to belong to.”

But many experts say the ban is “too blunt a tool” to effectively address the risks associated with social media use and warned it could result in children being pushed into less regulated areas of the internet.

During a brief consultation period before the bill’s passage, Google and Snap criticized the legislation for not providing more detail, and Meta said the bill was “ineffective” and did not meet its stated goal of making children safer.

In its statement, TikTok said the government’s definition of a social media platform was so “broad and unclear” that “almost any online service could fall under it.”

X questioned the “legality” of the bill, saying it may not be consistent with international regulations and human rights treaties to which Australia is a signatory.

Some youth advocates also accused the government of not fully understanding the role of social media in their lives and of leaving them out of the debate.

“We understand that we are exposed to the risks and negative impacts of social media … but we must be involved in developing solutions,” wrote the eSafety Youth Council, which advises the regulator.

Albanese acknowledged the debate was complex but steadfastly defended the bill.

“We all know that technology is evolving rapidly and some people will try to find ways around these new laws, but that is no reason to ignore the responsibility we have,” he said.

Last year, France introduced a law to block access to social media for children under 15 without parental consent. However, research shows that almost half of users were able to bypass the ban using a VPN.

A law similar to Australia’s in the US state of Utah was struck down by a federal judge who found it unconstitutional.

Australia’s laws are being watched with great interest by world leaders.

Norway recently pledged to follow in the country’s footsteps, and last week the UK technology minister said a similar ban was “on the table” – although he later added: “not at the moment”.

Additional reporting by Tiffanie Turnbull in Sydney