Since Australia’s social media ban for under-16s began eight weeks ago, more than 235,000 people in the United Kingdom have written to their MPs calling for a similar ban, and last month the House of Lords backed such a move. Malaysia plans to implement a proposed ban by July and, in France, president Emmanuel Macron has declared the brains of the country’s children “are not for sale”, calling for legislation to be fast-tracked to ensure a ban for under-15s is in effect by the start of the school year this September. Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany are also considering restrictions on social media use. Australia’s bold initiative is being closely observed.
While optimistic about the policy’s capacity to reduce some harms in the short term, the Australian government has been clear that no one should expect it to be a magic bullet or an overnight success. As the first report from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner was released last month, stating that 4.7m accounts have been flagged and deactivated across the affected platforms, the commissioner, Julie Inman Grant was quick to remind sceptics the policy is about “resetting cultural norms” and the benefits “may take years to fully manifest”.
