Australia Pushes for Teen Social Media Age Verification to Protect Younger Users

Australia is rolling out new plans that would require teenagers to verify their age on social media and gaming platforms, aiming to protect younger users from harmful content. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, addressing the concerns of parents, admitted it’s a tough challenge. While no government can shield every child from every danger, he assured families, “We’ve got your back.”

Australia set to ban social media for children under age 16, urging them to ditch their phones and play outdoors pic.twitter.com/StPlbfbgfK

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 10, 2024

The proposed age restrictions are expected to focus on kids between the ages of 14 and 16. But the final decision will come after a trial for age verification wraps up this week. The legislation, if passed, will follow in the footsteps of the UK, where users must be at least 13 years old to join platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Albanese acknowledged the anxiety many parents feel, given that this is an entirely new terrain. “Technology moves fast,” he noted. “We can’t protect every child from every threat, but we have to do everything we can.” With social media becoming such a central part of teenagers’ lives, parents are finding themselves navigating without a clear map, facing challenges no previous generation has encountered.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TEENAGERS

ROBINMG 🚀 pic.twitter.com/HeybSrrBFI

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The goal is to have legislation ready before next year’s election. South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, is already backing a minimum age of 14, drawing from a report by former High Court chief justice Robert French. This report not only recommends setting the age limit but also requiring parental consent for 14 and 15-year-olds before they can access social media platforms. The idea is to prevent kids from signing up without a parent’s involvement and ensuring companies put measures in place to block access for younger users.

Malinauskas didn’t mince words when drawing comparisons to other public health risks: “Early access to addictive social media is causing harm. This is no different than cigarettes or alcohol. If a product or service hurts children, governments have to step in.”

🇦🇺’Off their phones and on the footy field’: Australian children to be banned from using social media

Australia is planning to ban children from using social media amid concerns that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are harming young people’s physical and mental health
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Meanwhile, the UK is experimenting with its own age verification system, but so far, it only applies to adult content websites, not social media. Their approach relies on various methods—such as verifying bank accounts, phone numbers, or using facial ID technology to confirm users’ ages. While still in its early stages, the UK model could serve as a blueprint for Australia’s broader effort to tackle social media’s grip on younger users.

As the legislative framework takes shape, Australia’s effort to curb social media access for younger teens is poised to be both a complex and vital move in today’s rapidly shifting digital landscape.

Major Points

• Australia plans to implement age verification for teenagers on social media and gaming platforms to protect them from harmful content.
• The proposal targets teens between 14 and 16 years old, and legislation is expected after a trial concludes, possibly setting a minimum age requirement of 14.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the challenges of regulating fast-evolving technology but assured families that efforts are being made to protect children.
• South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, compared early social media access to public health risks like alcohol or cigarettes, advocating for stricter age controls and parental consent.
• Australia’s move follows the UK’s age verification efforts, which could serve as a model, though the UK’s system currently focuses only on adult content sites.

Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News