In a recent announcement, the Australian government has pledged to introduce legislation this year that will enforce a minimum age requirement for children to access social media platforms. While the exact method of age verification is yet to be revealed, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that the government will be testing age verification technology to prevent children under the ages of 14 to 16 from creating social media accounts.
This move aligns with efforts in various countries and U.S. states to protect children from potential harm on social media, particularly issues such as cyberbullying. With a growing demand from parents for online safety measures, the opposition party has also proposed a ban on social media use for children under 16 if they win the upcoming elections.
Albanese emphasized the importance of addressing the negative impacts of social media on young people's mental health, citing concerns about online bullying and exposure to harmful content. The government aims to introduce age verification legislation by the end of the year to mitigate these risks and respond to parental concerns.
However, some experts, like Lisa Given from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, have raised concerns about the potential drawbacks of such measures. Given warns that restricting children's access to social media could also prevent them from benefiting from valuable support and resources available on these platforms.
Meanwhile, South Australia has proposed its own legislation that would impose fines on social media companies that fail to prevent children under 14 from using their services. These developments reflect a broader global trend towards regulating children's access to social media and ensuring their online safety.
