Australia Set to Impose Social Media Age Limit

Australia plans to introduce a minimum age for children's social media access due to mental and physical health concerns. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government would trial age verification technology this year, potentially setting the limit between 14 and 16 years old. If implemented, Australia would be among the first countries to enforce such restrictions.

"We want kids off their devices and engaged in real, physical activities," Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. He emphasized the need for children to have real-world experiences to combat the social harm caused by excessive social media use.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, currently enforces a self-imposed minimum age of 13. The company expressed a desire to empower young users to benefit from its platforms while providing parents with tools to support them "instead of just cutting off access." Alphabet (Google), which owns YouTube, and TikTok have not commented on the proposed measures.

Australia, one of the world's most online countries, sees about 80% of its 26 million citizens using social media. Data from a 2023 University of Sydney study indicates that three-quarters of Australians aged 12 to 17 use YouTube or Instagram.

Albanese's announcement comes amid a parliamentary inquiry into social media's societal effects, which has highlighted the negative mental health impacts on teenagers. However, the inquiry also faced concerns that an age limit might encourage children to hide their online behaviors, driving them to perilous, less regulated digital spaces. Concerns have been raised by digital rights advocates, including Daniel Angus from the Queensland University of Technology Digital Media Research Centre, who warned the measure could create significant harm by limiting healthy online participation.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner cautioned that restriction-based approaches might restrict young people's access to essential support services and push them towards non-mainstream, unregulated platforms. The Commissioner vowed to work with government and community stakeholders to better refine strategies for mitigating online harms across all age groups.

DIGI, representing social media platforms, urged the government to heed the advice of experts such as the eSafety Commissioner, mental health professionals, and representatives from marginalized communities to avoid unintended consequences that may expose children to unsafe online environments.

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