The Australian government is moving forward with plans to implement a ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 16. This decision comes despite suggestions from Meta Platforms that responsibility for monitoring usage should fall to app store operators like Google and Apple.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Friday that leaders from all states and territories have agreed to the age restriction initiative, which will not include any exemptions for popular platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, or X.
Proposed legislation will be introduced in parliament during the week commencing November 18 and will include a 12-month period between the bill’s passage and its enforcement. Currently, details regarding the specific personal information required for age verification on social media platforms, as well as potential penalties for non-compliance, remain undisclosed. The government has also not provided comprehensive information on which platforms would be classified as social media.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland stated that various services will be marked as “age-restricted” under the forthcoming law. She indicated that the government would assess individual websites and online services to determine their compliance, though gaming services and messaging apps are likely to be excluded.
Australia has a precedent of challenging large technology firms managing social media platforms. In 2021, the government mandated that Meta’s Facebook and Alphabet’s Google compensate for news content. Recently, tensions arose with Elon Musk’s X concerning the failure to remove a video depicting a terrorist incident in Sydney.
Mia Garlick, Meta’s Regional Policy Director for Australia, acknowledged the need for age-appropriate experiences for young users on social media, but stressed the importance of practical implementation of such measures. She expressed concern that existing technology does not provide a flawless solution for age verification.
Garlick suggested that it might be more effective for mobile app store providers to enforce age restrictions rather than requiring each social media company to self-regulate. “If every single app is required to implement its own age-appropriate controls, then the burden really is going to fall on young people and parents for each of the different apps that a young person wants to use,” she noted.
Neither TikTok nor X has commented on the proposed age restrictions so far. Representatives from Apple Inc. and Google have not yet responded to inquiries regarding this policy.
Prime Minister Albanese dismissed Meta’s proposal, asserting that the government’s position is sound and that resistance to the new legislation is expected. He acknowledged that while the measures may not entirely prevent those under 16 from accessing online platforms, they would serve a significant purpose.
“We ban alcohol for those under 18 for purchasing. Well, this weekend I’m sure there’ll be an example of someone under the age of 18 getting access to alcohol,” Albanese remarked to reporters in Canberra. “That doesn’t mean that you say, ‘Oh well it’s all too hard, let it rip.’”
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