Achieving final approval from the Senate today, Australia’s government has passed a social media ban for kids under the age of 16 into law, potentially paving the way for other countries to introduce similar legislation and turn this into more of a global movement.

The Social Media Minimum Age ban forces platforms including Facebook and TikTok to prevent kids from setting up accounts. Failing to do so will lead to fines of up to US$32 million. Starting in January, companies will have a year to test and implement a restriction methodology before the ban comes into effect. 

Most Australians (77%) support the ban, according to survey findings released by UK-based market research and opinion polling firm YouGov on Tuesday.  

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, released a statement earlier this week supporting the legislation’s intent to protect kids from many types of social media harm, including bullying and misinformation. “I want Australia to lead the world,” Albanese said. “This bill puts the onus on social media companies—not young people, not their parents.” 

This blanket ban is the first of its kind, and it’s possible that other countries will follow suit. There’s similar legislation on the books in France, which enacted a law in July 2023 requiring social media sites to restrict access to kids under age 15, unless they have permission from their parents. And just this week, the French government expressed a desire to see an EU-wide ban that would keep kids off social media until they turn 15. 

In the US, Florida introduced regulations that ban users under the age of 14 from social media sites, and require 14- and 15-year-olds to obtain adult permission for access. Internet industry groups have already started to challenge this legislation in court. 

Image courtesy of Photoholgic via Unsplash.