Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese announced that the government plans to trial age verification technology, aiming to ban children under 16 from opening social media accounts.
The Australian government has committed to introducing legislation this year to enforce a minimum age for social media access, said the prime minister. However, the specifics of how age verification will be implemented are yet to be disclosed.
Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese said the urgency of this initiative, citing the mental health consequences and online bullying that young people face. He said, “We have committed to introducing legislation before the end of this year for age verification to make sure that we get young people away from this social harm.”
The proposal has attracted support from parents and the opposition party, which has promised to enforce a social media ban for children under 16 if they win the upcoming elections. This move aligns with global efforts, as several countries and U.S. states are also working on similar legislation to protect children from online harm.
Lisa Given, an IT expert at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, expressed concerns about the potential drawbacks of the ban. She noted, “This is a very blunt instrument that’s going to potentially exclude children from some very, very helpful supports on social media.”
In South Australia, a proposed law aims to fine social media companies that fail to exclude children under 14 from their platforms. This reflects a growing trend among states to take proactive measures in safeguarding children online.
As Australia moves forward with this proposal, the debate continues on how to balance protecting children from online harm while ensuring they still have access to beneficial content. The outcome of this initiative could set a precedent for other countries grappling with similar issues.