Children under the age of 16 have just been booted from social media platforms in a world-first attempt to safeguard them from phone addiction and harm.
The landmark ban officially came into effect at midnight Tuesday, blocking teenagers under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Accounts suspected of being operated by a user under the age of 16 will be suspended unless they can provide ID verification.
The age-restricted social media platforms include Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Twitch, Reddit, Facebook, Threads and Kick.
As part of the ban, platforms will be required to take reasonable steps to stop children from having accounts.
Parents, guardians and children who fail to adhere to the ban will not face any consequences. However, platforms that refuse to comply could face a fine of up to $49.5m.
Anthony Albanese said he was very proud” to unveil the ban on Wednesday morning.
“Young people themselves have said enough is enough,” he said.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies.
“They are asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind.
“This is a proud day.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged the new restrictions “won’t be simple” but remained an “important” step to protect young people.
“It will be a difficult period going through … any transition is of course,” he said.
“We also want to have those discussions between parents and teachers and young people and to engage. This is a very important.”
Mr Albanese said seven out of 10 young people who use social media had been exposed to some form of harassment.
“One of the dynamics that has occurred over a period of time is people being addicted effectively, he said.
“It has an impact on brain functions. It is addictive.”
He said the ban would encourage children to step away from the screen and reconnect with others face-to-face.
“We understand this is going to be difficult, but it is so important that young people are given the opportunity to actually grow as young humans, and to differentiate as well between what is real in human interactions and what they can often be exposed to online,” he said.
eSafety commissioner warns of “teething issues”
Speaking to the ABC, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said it was an “absolutely momentous” day.
“What is happening now and we, as parents, need to make sure that we’re preparing our kids for the summer holidays to fill their time, kind of like we used to play, riding the bike and reading the books and playing the board games and going to the beach, she said.
“Our kids will be all right.”
She hit back at critics who said the rollout was “messy”.
“People will say the rollout was messy, well it was always going to be messy when you’re dragging the most powerful, rich companies kicking and screaming into doing something they don’t want to do,” she said.
“It is the right thing for Australian children.”
While the ban has officially come into effect from Wednesday, she told Today there would be “teething issues” with some accounts that have not yet been suspended.
“You may see some of these accounts being deactivated or removed. I don’t expect that they’re all going to magically disappear,” she said.
“There are going to be technology teething issues it takes a while to replicate through these major systems.”
She said the ban was intended to stop the exposure to “powerful algorithms and autoplay and Snap streaks that are designed to keep them entranced and entrenched”.
“We’re powerless to fight against that sometimes,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“What chance do our kids have? So this will balance the playing field and let’s hope they’re out on the playing field.”
Anthony Albanese addresses teens ahead of ban
Hours before the ban took effect, Mr Albanese issued a message to teenagers impacted by the social media crackdown.
In the video, he offered advice for teens left without anything to do once they’ve stopped scrolling.
“Start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read that book that’s been sitting there on your shelf for some time,” he said with a smile.
“Importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family, face-to-face.”
He said the ban would allow kids to “make the most of school holidays coming up, rather than spending it scrolling on your phone”.
Social media ban “no silver bullet’
While the social media ban has been welcomed by safety advocates, the landmark move has garnered push back from experts, who argued the change was “no silver bullet” to solving the issue of rising anxiety and bullying among young people online.
“The changes mean kids won’t be targeted by algorithms, not that they’ll be completely protected from harmful content or contact altogether – it’s not a silver bullet, and that’s clear in the eSafety advice,” Royal Australian College of GPs specific interest child and young person’s health chair Tim Jones said.
“We all still have an obligation to ensure kids’ online experiences are safe and watch for online harms.
“The key thing is to have open conversations about your online lives and mental health, and to be aware of changes.”
