In a groundbreaking announcement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from social media, using age assurance technology that is not yet determined. The new laws will block teens from signing up to sites like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, with Albanese citing poor mental health as his primary concern.
“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” he said. “I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online, and I want Australian parents and families to know that the government has your back.
“I want parents to be able to say: ‘Sorry, mate, it’s against the law’.”
So how would a ban like this work, and when will the new laws come into effect? All the important details below.
What is age assurance technology?
The Australian government is launching an "age assurance trial" in partnership with the UK's Age Check Certification Scheme to test various technologies. It's not clear exactly what this means, but the scheme in question specialises in age verification, from traditional methods like ID checks, to modern AI technology that can estimate a person's age by reading their facial features. It remains unclear how social media platforms will implement this technology.
When will the social media ban commence?
The ban will come into effect 12 months after the law is introduced — assuming this is to allow the social media platforms time to adjust to the new guidelines.
As for when the law comes into effect, the proposal was taken to a virtual meeting of national cabinet on Friday 8 November. It will likely be any time after then.
How will the social media ban be enforced?
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has indicated that there will be penalties for the social media companies if they do not effectively comply with the new ban for children under 16. Specifically, companies will be fined up to $50 million for systematically breaching age verification laws
It will ultimately be the platforms that are responsible for policing the age limit. Some experts have suggested that new account users will be required to show identification or proof of age in order to open an account.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that parents and children will not be penalised individually if they break the ban.
What does this look like for existing account holders?
This is the part that is unclear at this stage - but we do know that users under 16 who have accounts are not exempt.
The current age limit for Instagram for example is 13, but as any Instagram account user would know, it is very easy to get around the current flimsy restrictions in place. This means there are currently thousands of social media accounts that belong to children under 16. Since there will be no grandfathering arrangement, and anyone under 16 with an existing account needs to have theirs shutdown, it will soon be the responsibility of companies like Meta to ensure that anyone under 16 is identified and removed.
Will that mean that all existing account holders over 16 will need to show a proof of age in order to keep their accounts? We’re not sure at this stage but will keep you updated.
Which social media platforms will the ban apply to?
We've been unable to find any specific parameters so far. But we can only assume this applies to Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (currently known as X) and Snapchat. Whether this will also apply to curation tools like Pinterest or Tumblr remains to be seen.
According to The Conversation, the Government was considering an exception for "low-risk" platforms:
"exemption framework to accommodate access for social media services that demonstrate a low risk of harm to children."
But there has been no further definition around what actually constitutes "low-risk"
Standby for more information.
