Social Media Age Restriction Takes Effect in Two Weeks as Government Warns Platforms Against Legal Challenges
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Australia’s world-first social media minimum age law will take effect in two weeks, Communications Minister Anika Wells announced Wednesday, warning tech platforms the government will not be “intimidated” by legal challenges as it remains “steadfastly on the side of parents.”
Minister for Communications Anika Wells (Labor, Lilley, QLD) told Parliament that December 10 would mark the date when the minimum age to hold a social media account in Australia rises to 16, following legislation passed with bipartisan support.
“Today marks two weeks until the minimum age to have a social media account in Australia rises to 16. And I tell you, Australian parents are ready,” Wells said.
“Australian parents are ready for a break from the predatory algorithms and the toxic popularity meters that keep their kids doom scrolling for hours on end.”
The Minister reported that a $10 million national advertising campaign launched five weeks ago had driven a 1,441% increase in traffic to the eSafety Commissioner’s website, with nearly 600,000 Australians accessing resources about the new law.
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Wells quoted testimonials from teenagers who supported the restrictions, including 15-year-old “Peyton” who said: “I actually think it’s a good thing, and you’d be surprised by how many teenagers my age and younger think that too, because it will help reduce cyber bullying and it will protect our mental health.”
A 17-year-old identified as “Hayden” described the law as “a brilliant step forward to reclaim the wellbeing of young Australians in their developmental years.”
The Minister acknowledged the government was facing “threats and legal challenges by people with ulterior motives” but vowed not to back down.
“The Albanese government remains steadfastly on the side of parents and not of platforms. We will not be intimidated by threats. We will not be intimidated by legal challenges. We will not be intimidated by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we stand firm,” Wells said.
The legislation requires social media platforms to implement age verification systems preventing under-16s from creating accounts. Platforms face penalties of up to $50 million for systemic failures to comply.
The law does not impose penalties on parents or children, instead placing the responsibility and liability entirely on social media companies. Critics have questioned whether age verification technology is sufficiently mature to be effective, while privacy advocates have raised concerns about data collection requirements.
Industry representatives have indicated platforms will implement a combination of age estimation technology and existing age declaration systems. The eSafety Commissioner has been granted enforcement powers and will assess platform compliance.
Parents can now cite the law when refusing social media access to children under 16, which Wells characterised as removing them from the position of “being the bad guys.”
“Parents are ready not to be the bad guys when they tell their children that they can’t have social media because it is the law,” she said.
Australia is the first country to implement such a comprehensive age restriction on social media, though other jurisdictions including the United States and European Union are considering similar measures.
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