Australia will become the first country to ban social media accounts for users under 16 starting 10 December, with regulators tracking “migratory patterns” to stop teens shifting to other platforms, Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Wednesday (3 December).
The ban is designed to tackle what Wells described as “behavioural cocaine” — addictive design features targeting young users — and shifts responsibility for underage use onto tech companies.
Australia’s eSafety Commission will begin compliance checks on 11 December, sending notices to 10 major platforms requesting data on underage accounts both before and after the ban.
Wells emphasised the law will be monitored through an evidence-based review over two years, noting it is not “set and forget.”
She criticised platforms like YouTube for always being “at pains to remind us all how unsafe their platform is in a logged-out state.”
“Viewers must now be 16 or older to sign in to YouTube. This law will not achieve its goal of making children safer online and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” the platform said in a statement earlier, on Wednesday (3 December), complying with the new law.
"Teenage addiction was not a bug, it was a design feature,” Wells said, acknowledging teens may experience short-term discomfort losing access to accounts.
“But I truly believe the long-term benefits will outweigh the withdrawal symptoms,” she concluded.
The law bars users under 16 from maintaining social media accounts and carries penalties of up to A$49.5 million (£25.5 million) for breaches.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have all pledged to comply, while Elon Musk’s X and Reddit have yet to make public commitments.
Australia’s eSafety Commission reports that YouTube has about 325,000 accounts for users aged 13 to 15, compared with Snapchat’s 440,000 and Instagram’s 350,000.
The watchdog also found that over a third of Australians aged 10 to 15 have come across harmful content on YouTube, the highest rate among major platforms.
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues ...
Canada and the five Nordic countries have agreed to deepen cooperation in military procurement and other areas, in...
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 ...
Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations that have sought its expertise as ...
French voters head to the polls on Sunday (15 March) to elect their mayors in a closely watched ballot seen as a t...
British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday (6 March), becoming the latest country to introduce online guardrails aimed at reducing the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.
A long-running investigation has suggested that the street artist known as Banksy may be legally named David Jones. A report indicates that Jones was previously known as Robin Gunningham, a name long associated with Banksy, before legally changing his name several years ago.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues to launch wide‑scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in the west. This live report tracks the latest developments.
North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Saturday (14 March), Japanese and South Korean officials said. The development comes amid the joint annual U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" military drills and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to Washington.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a key port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight (13-14 March), local authorities said, causing injuries and damage. In separate action, Russian air attacks on Ukrainian territory killed and wounded civilians near Kyiv, officials reported.
Canada and the five Nordic countries have agreed to deepen cooperation in military procurement and other areas, in the latest push by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to build new global alliances.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to resolve issues in their trade truce. The discussions aim to smooth the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations that have sought its expertise as they defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to the region.
French voters head to the polls on Sunday (15 March) to elect their mayors in a closely watched ballot seen as a test of the strength of the far-right and the resilience of mainstream parties ahead of next year's presidential vote.
Tens of millions of Vietnamese were voting on Sunday (15 March) to elect members of parliament from a list of candidates almost exclusively fielded by the Communist Party, ensuring the party's continued overwhelming dominance.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment