Australia has introduced a bill banning social media for children under 16 and threatened penalties of up to A$50mn ($32.5mn) for “systemic” breaches by platforms such as Elon Musk’s X, Meta’s Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Australia is the first country to suggest legislation that puts the onus on social media platforms, not parents, to stop children accessing their services. The bill, first announced in September, is expected to be passed into law by the end of the year.
“We know social media is doing social harm,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “We want Australian children to have a childhood and we want parents to know the government is in their corner. This is a landmark reform.”