Summary
Australia has passed a groundbreaking ban on social media use for children under 16, the strictest of its kind globally.
Platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit have one year to implement the age limit, with fines up to AU$50M for non-compliance.
Supporters cite mental health concerns, while critics argue the ban risks isolation for marginalized youth, lacks proper research, and excludes harmful platforms like 4chan.
Privacy concerns surround proposed age-verification methods. Opponents, including parents, scholars, and tech companies, argue the legislation is rushed and poorly designed, potentially exacerbating existing issues.
Not only do I have concerns about privacy concerns of age-verification, I think the “ban until 16, then unrestricted” is a very bad policy. Yes, social media is harmful to kids, but frankly, it’s harmful to everyone. If kids have no exposure to social media and no education on how to use it appropriately, it’s just going to concentrate the issues to teens/young adults.
So… it’s harmful to everyone, especially kids, which is why we shouldn’t ban its use by kids?