The Australian government is working to strengthen laws that ban children younger than 16 from social media platforms, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This move comes in response to evidence that the current ban, which was implemented on December 10 last year, has failed to keep young children off platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Background

Australia was the first country to pass legislation keeping youth off social media, but other countries have since followed suit. Britain recently announced plans to ban children under 16 from certain platforms to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time. Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia have also introduced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media.

According to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, the current ban has not been effective, with seven in 10 underage children continuing to hold accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok since December. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that 85% of a group of Australian 12 to 17-year-olds were using restricted platforms.

Proposed Reforms

Albanese stated that the government is considering options to strengthen the ban, including giving the eSafety Commissioner more powers to enforce the laws. The government is also working on digital duty of care legislation, which would hold platforms accountable for foreseeable harms caused by content and algorithms.

Inman Grant has said that she faces a challenge in enforcing the legislation, as platforms are resisting the ban. She has also stated that she does not have sufficient powers to effectively regulate the platforms.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.