Australia responded with a mix of anger and relief on Friday to a new law banning social media use for children under 16. The government touts the measure as groundbreaking, while tech companies like TikTok warn it could drive young users to “darker corners of the internet.” Passed late Thursday after intense national debate, the legislation mandates social media platforms to block new accounts for those under 16 or face significant fines. It also enforces stricter age-verification for existing accounts and requires the deletion of data collected from underage users once they reach adulthood. Critics, including academics and privacy advocates, argue the law is overly simplistic, but it has gained support from parents and youth organizations concerned about the harmful effects of excessive social media use on Australian children.
Dany Elachi, a father of two from Sydney, caved into his daughter’s request for a smartphone when she was ten and found she quickly became addicted to it. “She was always online, and it ruined her sleep,” he says. “It was an eye-opener for me. She had no hobbies, and it made her unhappy.” They decided to delay giving her a phone and founded the Wait Mate movement, encouraging other parents to do the same. Their daughter Emma, 11, has dropped her Instagram account and spends more time outdoors with friends.
Several academics who’ve spoken to CNN say the law is too broad and lacks critical details on how it will be implemented. It’s also prompted criticism from some parents who fear they will be left with no control over their child’s social media use and campaigners like the 36Months initiative, which has more than 125,000 signatures arguing that kids should not be allowed on social networks until 16.
A spokesperson for TikTok, hugely popular among teenagers, said the process had been too rushed and risked pushing young people into “darker corners of the Internet.” He added: “We look forward to working closely with the government to fix issues that this rushed process has created.”
The ban was introduced after a parliamentary inquiry heard evidence from families of children who had self-harmed because of cyberbullying. It also followed a YouGov poll that showed 77% of Australians supported the new laws.
However, critics of the ban have argued it doesn’t go far enough and would allow children to circumvent it by opening fake accounts using older versions of their phone numbers. They’ve also questioned whether the measures will effectively address the problem, given that many people use apps for other purposes, like music and gaming, which aren’t affected by the new law.
The ban isn’t yet in effect, but social media companies have been given a year to work out how to implement it. It comes as research suggests excessive social media use is rewiring young brains in a critical developmental window, causing a host of problems, including poor mental health and depression.
