Social media ban to ensure Australian children have a childhood: PM Albanese

Australia has unfurled a sweeping, world-first social media ban for children under 16 — a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heralds as a chance to “give childhood back to our children”.

In a letter to state and territory leaders on Tuesday, Albanese expressed gratitude for their support as the landmark reform takes effect on Wednesday. He acknowledged that the shift will demand short-term adjustment but insisted its long-term purpose is clear: to restore peace of mind for parents and safeguard young Australians from a digital world that has grown far too heavy for them to carry.

The law, passed by the federal parliament in November 2024, compels major platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from creating accounts. The government argues the ban is vital to shielding children from design features engineered to hook young minds — endless feeds, manipulative algorithms, and content risks that lurk just a swipe away.

Its urgency is underscored by a government-commissioned study earlier in 2025 revealing that 96 per cent of Australian children aged 10–15 were using social media, and seven in 10 had encountered harmful material — from misogynistic and violent content to posts glorifying eating disorders and suicide.

Ten platforms have so far been ordered to enforce the ban: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit, with the list expected to expand as needed.

In a recorded message that will be shown in classrooms nationwide, Albanese tells students that his government’s intent is not to punish them, but to protect them — a generation raised under the unblinking gaze of algorithms and the pressures they generate.

Importantly, neither children nor parents will face penalties for breaching the rules. The burden falls squarely on the platforms, which risk fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $32.8 million) for serious or repeated noncompliance. The government has acknowledged that developing reliable age-assurance technology will take time, but insists the transition is both necessary and overdue.

The reform marks a profound cultural pivot — an attempt to carve out a protected space where young Australians can grow, learn, and simply be children, free from the digital forces that have long eroded that fragile freedom.

With IANS inputs