Australia acts to protect children on social media

Governments and tech firms globally are closely watching Australia’s effort to become the first country to block the use of social media by teenage children.

When the ban comes into force on December 10, anyone under the age of 16 will be prohibited from holding accounts on Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X.

On Tuesday, Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant revealed the steps tech giants will be expected to take to comply with the regulations.

While the platforms must satisfy the watchdog that they have taken “reasonable steps” to remove the accounts of the under-16s, there will be no legally enforceable standard for accuracy.

ESafety will be able to launch legal action if platforms cannot demonstrate they have taken the required steps, which may differ from platform to platform, with fines of up to $50 million for breaches.

The ban attracted global attention when it was announced last November. The fiercest opposition came from X, whose billionaire owner Elon Musk called the law “a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians”.

US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that hurt US businesses, particularly tech companies. The Herald reported in March some ministers were aware of the Trump administration’s hostility towards age-gating social media. But they did not think the US would punish Australia over it and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese determined to push ahead.

Social media has become a key tool of governing for Trump, who uses his own TruthSocial site to spread his rhetoric. Globally, social media platforms have experienced a proliferation of extremist views, with algorithms steering foul content to young, vulnerable users.

The age ban is a positive attempt to protect young people and their mental health. It is not the only answer, however, and must be coupled with education that starts in primary school on the dangers of social media, from cyberbullying to online predators. The dangers are very real in this virtual playground.

A recent Herald report on the popular gaming platform Roblox revealed it had become a hotspot for adults looking to abuse children.

Since US political activist Charlie Kirk was shot last week, Roblox has been forced to remove dozens of experiences that reference the assassination. The company also faces a lawsuit for the wrongful death of a child in the US after allegedly creating an environment for predators to “thrive, unite, hunt and victimise kids”.

Then there was the death in August of Frenchman Raphael Graven during a broadcast on Australian-owned livestreaming platform Kick. The 46-year-old had reportedly been subject to bouts of violence and sleep deprivation during streams, and died in his sleep during a live broadcast.

Kick allows gambling activities, sexually suggestive content and content involving humiliation or violence to be broadcast, attracting influencers banned from other platforms.

Studies show young Australians are turning to social media as a primary source of news. As hate speech, misinformation, and toxic commentary proliferate, many young users are left without the critical skills to navigate and interpret harmful content they encounter online.

This is why the social media ban to protect young Australians must be applauded. As Communications Minister Wells said: “[We are] on the side of families. We want kids to know who they are before platforms know who they are.”

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