Australia is now just one month away from banning people aged under 16 from social media.
In a world-first move, Australia will be the first country to take such a stance in banning children from some of the world's most popular social media platforms.
It has not been without controversy, with arguments it is too restrictive and concerns that children will be able to circumvent any bans. Here is how it works, and how it will impact young Australians.
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What is the social media ban?
Put simply, platforms that are deemed "age-restricted" will not be allowed to let children under 16 create an account.
The measures will be legally binding after the government passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 in November last year.
Parents also will not be able to give consent for their children under 16 to be able to create an account on impacted platforms.
However, the government insists it is not a ban, rather a "delay" to having an account.
"There is no perfect solution when it comes to keeping young Australians safe online," Minister for Communications Anika Wells said in July.
"But the social media minimum age laws will make a meaningful difference."
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What sites are being banned for under 16s?
You may be wondering what an age-restricted platform looks like. These are currently the platforms that will be hit by the ban:
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
- Threads
- Kick
Reddit and Kick were both added to the ban last week, causing some controversy due to similar platforms being excluded from the list.
According to the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, these platforms have been included in the ban because their "sole or significant purpose is to enable online social interaction between two or more users".
These platforms also allow users to post their own content and material, as well as allowing users to interact with all other users on the platform.
For some platforms such as YouTube and Reddit, children under 16 will still be able to watch videos or view threads, as an account is not required to access them; however, they will not be allowed to create accounts, or to post comments or content on them.
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What platforms can under-16s use?
The government has clarified which platforms will still be fully accessible to children under 16-years-old.
Popular streaming platforms Discord and Twitch have not been included in the social media ban despite both allowing users to connect with each other and content to be posted.
Messaging platforms like Messenger and WhatsApp have also been excluded from the ban.
Other well-known platforms to be excluded are:
- GitHub
- Google Classroom
- LEGO Play
- Roblox
- Steam and Steam Chat
- YouTube Kids
The eSafety Commissioner has clarified the list is not final, and more alterations could be made before the ban begins.
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When does the social media ban start?
The social media ban begins in exactly one month on December 10.
What will happen to me if I have a current account on an age-restricted platform?
As it stands, accounts of children on impacted platforms will have to be removed or deactivated.
Under the legislation, platforms must take "reasonable steps" to enforce this.
This will vary between platforms given each have different circumstances, so there is no concrete method platforms must follow to ensure accounts are deactivated.
However, they must prove to the eSafety Commissioner the steps they have taken are reasonable.
They also note such measures need to be done with "kindness, care, and clear communication".
They recommend against adding self-declaration of age for existing account holders, due to the ability of people to lie or circumvent this restriction.
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How will the social media ban be enforced?
It will be up to the platforms themselves to enforce the new measures, with legislation putting them under heavy pressure to do so.
If they don't, serious financial penalties could hit platforms who fail to adequately enforce the new laws.
This can include fines of up to $49.5 million.
Platforms have been recommended to assess "age-related signals" to identify accounts which could fall foul of the ban; this includes how long an account has been active, whether an account interacts with content targeted at children, and visual checks such as age analysis of a profile photo of an account holder.
Interestingly, children who are found to be accessing an age-restricted platform after the ban comes into effect will not be met with any punishment, nor will their parents or carers.
This is because the government insists the law is about protecting children from harmful content on the platforms, and they believe punishment would have a detrimental impact.
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