The Australian government has introduced a landmark bill aiming to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, while also imposing significant fines on companies that fail to comply with stringent age verification requirements. The amendment to the Online Safety Act was presented in Parliament on Thursday by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
The legislation shifts the responsibility of age verification from parents and young users to social media companies, mandating that they take “reasonable steps” to enforce the new protections. Platforms that violate the rules could face financial penalties of up to AU$50 million (US$32.5 million).
Minister Rowland emphasized the urgency of the reforms, citing that nearly two-thirds of Australian teenagers aged 14 to 17 have been exposed to harmful online content, including material promoting drug abuse, self-harm, and suicide. “This initiative meets Australians’ expectations to minimize the harms experienced by young people on social media,” Rowland said.
The legislation is anticipated to affect popular platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, although no specific platforms were named in the bill. Social media companies will have one year to implement the necessary measures if the law is passed.
The bill has bipartisan backing from both the governing Labor Party and the opposition Liberals. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the impact of social media on children’s physical and mental well-being, stating in September that he wants to see kids “off their phones and on the footy field.”
Albanese reiterated the bill’s significance on Thursday, describing it as a “landmark reform” and calling on social media companies to “clean up their act.” While acknowledging that some young users might find ways around the restrictions, he said the law sends a clear message about online safety.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about the bill’s potential impact on privacy and freedom of expression for young Australians. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X, described the proposed measures as a “backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.”
The legislation also disallows exemptions for parental consent or pre-existing accounts, drawing further criticism from those who argue that the measures could infringe on personal freedoms.
Australia’s proposed restrictions align with a growing international push to regulate social media usage among minors. Countries such as China, France, Spain, and several U.S. states have introduced similar measures aimed at curbing the negative effects of social media on young people.
If enacted, the bill would position Australia as a global leader in implementing stricter online safety measures for children.
