Social media giants on Friday hit out at a landmark Australian law banning them from signing up under-16s, describing it as a rush job littered with “many unanswered questions”.

The UN children’s charity UNICEF Australia joined the fray, warning the law was no “silver bullet” against online harm and could push kids into “covert and unregulated” spaces online.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation may not be implemented perfectly — much like existing age restrictions on alcohol — but it was “the right thing to do”.

The crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X, approved by parliament late Thursday, will lead to “better outcomes and less harm for young Australians”, he told reporters.

Platforms have a “social responsibility” to make children’s safety a priority, the prime minister said. 

“We’ve got your back, is our message to Australian parents.”

Social media firms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million).

TikTok said Friday it was “disappointed” in the law, accusing the government of ignoring mental health, online safety and youth experts who had opposed the ban.

“It’s entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist,” a TikTok spokesperson said.

‘Unanswered questions’

Tech companies said that despite the law’s perceived shortcomings, they would engage with the government on shaping how it could be implemented in the next 12 months.

The legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced — prompting concern among experts that it will simply be a symbolic, unenforceable piece of legislation.

Meta — owner of Facebook and Instagram —  called for consultation on the rules to ensure a “technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens”.

But the company added it was concerned “about the process, which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people”. 

A Snapchat spokesperson said the company had raised “serious concerns” about the law and that “many unanswered questions” remained about how it would work.

But the company said it would engage closely with government to develop an approach balancing “privacy, safety and practicality”. 

“As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia,” it said.

UNICEF Australia policy chief Katie Maskiell said young people need to be protected online but also need to be included in the digital world.

“This ban risks pushing children into increasingly covert and unregulated online spaces as well as preventing them from accessing aspects of the online world essential to their wellbeing,” she said.

Global attention

One of the biggest issues will be privacy — what age-verification information is used, how it is collected and by whom.

Social media companies remain adamant that age-verification should be the job of app stores, but the government believes tech platforms should be responsible.

Exemptions will likely be granted to some companies, such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for recreation, school work or other reasons.

The legislation will be closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans. 

Lawmakers from Spain to Florida have proposed social media bans for young teens, although none of the measures have been implemented yet.

China has restricted access for minors since 2021, with under-14s not allowed to spend more than 40 minutes a day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Online gaming time for children is also limited in China.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Melbourne:

Australian lawmakers passed landmark rules to ban under 16s from social media on Thursday, approving one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on popular sites like Facebook, Instagram and X.

The bill has now passed both parliamentary chambers with bipartisan support, and social media firms will soon be expected to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts.

The firms — who face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for failing to comply — have described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.

The legislation passed parliament’s lower chamber on Wednesday and passed the Senate late on Thursday evening. It is now all but certain to become law.

Centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, eyeing an election early next year, has enthusiastically championed the new rules and rallied Aussie parents to get behind it.

In the run up to the vote, he painted social media as “a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”.

He wanted, he said, young Australians “off their phones and onto the footy and cricket field, the tennis and netball courts, in the swimming pool”.

– ‘I’ll find a way’ –

But young Australians like 12-year-old Angus Lydom, are not impressed.

“I’d like to keep using it. And it’ll be a weird feeling to not have it, and be able to talk to all my friends at home,” he told AFP.

Many are likely to try to find ways around it.

“I’ll find a way. And so will all my other friends” Lydom said.

Similarly, 11-year-old Elsie Arkinstall said there was still a place for social media, particularly for children wanting to watch tutorials about baking or art, many of which appear on social media.

“Kids and teens should be able to explore those techniques because you can’t learn all those things from books,” she added.

On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.

But the current legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced — prompting concern among experts that it will simply be a symbolic piece of legislation that is unenforceable.

It will be at least 12 months before the details are worked out by regulators and the ban comes into effect.

Some companies will likely be granted exemptions, such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for recreation, school work or other reasons.

Late amendments were introduced to ensure government-issued digital ID cannot be used as a means of age verification.

– Australia leads the way –

Social media expert Susan Grantham told AFP that digital literacy programmes that teach children to think “critically” about what they see online should be adopted — similar to a model used in Finland.

The legislation will be closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans.

Lawmakers from Spain to Florida have proposed social media bans for young teens, although none of the measures have been implemented yet.

China has restricted access for minors since 2021, with under-14s not allowed to spend more than 40 minutes a day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Online gaming time for children is also limited in China.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Australian government’s decision to ban social media for children below 16 through ‘world-leading legislation’ has renewed the conversation in India about a similar ban. Studies, experiments and research have proved that social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter), are addictive and impact children’s social and mental development, and time management and also expose them to risk of cyberbullying.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked social media platforms to enforce the new regulations or face possible fines. “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese told the media. “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people. There’ll be no penalties for users,” he explained.

The pros and cons of social media have long been a matter of heated discussion and the Australian government’s move has once again brought it to the fore.

Teenage addiction

Studies have found that unlimited screen time can disrupt sleep patterns, hamper academic performance, and reduce physical activity, contributing to an overall decline in well-being. The excessive use of social media apps tends to make children more sedentary.

Moreover, the addictive nature of social media can negatively impact children’s mental health, leading to issues like anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem, especially as they compare themselves to the idealised portrayals of others. 

Since youngsters communicate more through texting and social media, it reduces their ability to communicate in real-time.

“Teens often find themselves drawn into late-night scrolling and are distracted from responsibilities. It’s essential to recognise that social media, while connecting us, also creates a pressure that young minds may find overwhelming,” says Prerna Kohli, clinical psychologist and founder, MindTribe.in.

Facebook’s internal research, which was kept secret for two years before being reported in 2021, had revealed the harmful effect of its Instagram app, especially on teenage girls. It had highlighted Instagram’s negative impressions on teenage girls in terms of body image, and the flimsy benchmark of validation based on appearance. As many as 32% of girls surveyed had said they felt bad about their body, and “Instagram made them feel worse”. Teens also blamed Insta for the rise in their rate of anxiety and depression.

“Adolescents frequently compare themselves to curated images they encounter online, which can foster feelings of inadequacy. The pursuit of validation through likes and comments can create a reliance on external approval, undermining their confidence and emotional strength,” says Rupali Makhijani, a high school counsellor based in the Nilgiris.

The APA (American Psychological Association) also issued a health advisory on social media use among adolescents, which specified that excess or ‘problematic social media use’ can harm the ability to engage in daily roles and routines among adolescents. The APA advisory also said it presents the risk of more serious psychological harm over time.

“Data indicates that technology use, particularly within one hour of bedtime, and social media use in particular, is associated with sleep disruptions. Insufficient sleep is associated with disruptions to neurological development in adolescent brains, teens’ emotional functioning and risk of suicide,” said the APA advisory.

Curbing the menace

Australia hasn’t blocked the internet or access to information. It has restricted access to platforms like Instagram and Facebook, given their damaging influence on adolescents, including negative body image, social anxiety and digital addiction.

Once developed countries with more internet presence and literacy go through such a social media ban, India can learn and emulate.

“A student I was working with had a clinical diagnosis of depressive disorder and was observed by the parent using a website that allows users to connect anonymously,” says Ms Makhijani. “A ban could shift the emphasis towards healthier offline interactions and real-world activities, creating a more balanced environment for young people to thrive.”

Restricted use of social media can significantly reduce the probability of cyberbullying, online harassment and body shaming. Children and adolescents can be nudged towards outdoor physical activities.  

As for youngsters who have already been exposed to social media, they may resist such restrictions, or rebel or take extreme steps. It could also lead to fissures between parents and children, causing stress and interpersonal mistrust.

“The more sustainable approach is to guide teens on healthy online habits and responsible usage. Encouraging open discussions about risks and setting screen-time boundaries with parental support can be effective,” says Dr Kohli.

“Families and schools can work together to help teens build self-esteem and resilience. Instead of banning social media, let’s teach kids to scroll wisely-guiding them to balance the benefits without getting lost in the likes,” she adds.

Australian PM Albanese himself was sceptical about the ban being fully effective or whether it would fix the problem immediately, pointing to alcohol restrictions that have failed to prevent underage drinking in his country.

The same holds for India. Alcohol bans have often backfired and spurred the sale of illicit liquor, which in turn has led to hundreds of deaths in states where liquor is prohibited. Similarly, tech savvy youngsters could always find a workaround for a social media ban.

Legislation will be introduced into parliament this year, per the PM [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the government would legislate for a ban on social media for people under 16.

“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,” Albanese told a news conference. “The onus won’t be on parents or young people.”

Legislation will be introduced into parliament this year, with the laws coming into effect 12 months after it is ratified by lawmakers, he added.