Australia proposes banning the use of social networks for minors under 16 years of age

The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, announced this Thursday that his Administration will support prohibit the use of social networks by children under 16 years of agewith no exceptions for those who already have accounts on platforms or who have parental consent, although “there will be no sanctions for users” if the proposed legislation is introduced.

«A minimum age of 16 years for social networks will make a difference. Social media is harming our children and I am going to put an end to it. I want Australian parents and families to know the Government has their back.», he stated through his profile on the social network X.

Albanese explained to the media shortly before that the changes will come into force one year after that Parliament approves the measure and that there will be a review of the rules after they begin to be applied. “This is world-leading legislation and we want to make sure we have done it right,” he said.

The Australian head of government has stated that he has addressed the issue with “thousands” of relatives of minors who have conveyed their concerns about the safety of minors on the Internet. “I want parents to be able to say, ‘I’m sorry, buddy, I can’t allow you to do this because it’s against the law.’», he said, although he has considered the possibility of there being some time of exception to ensure that there are no “unexpected” consequences.

The goal is for the platforms to take responsibility for enforcing the age limit (which in many of them is set at 14 years old), thus waiting for the companies to demonstrate that they are “taking reasonable measures to prevent access” to them.