Australia passes world-first legislation banning children from using social media – with tech giants set to face $50M fines if they don’t adhere to the strict new rules

Australians under the age of 16 will be banned from social media by the end of next year after the Federal Parliament passed world-first legislation.

The Senate passed legislation late Thursday evening during the finals of the 2024 legislative session to ban children from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to “protect their mental health.”

The move comes despite concerns that the proposal has passed through parliament without proper scrutiny, as Australia would be the first country to introduce such a ban.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the age limit would keep children and teenagers safe online.

“We know that parents are concerned about the harm to children and we have decided to support them,” she told parliament.

“Keeping Australians safe online requires decisive action and the Albanian government is delivering just that.”

Critics of the bill claim that little consultation has taken place. An inquiry into the new laws took just three hours, with Aussies given just one day to submit their comments.

Under the legislation, social media giants will face fines of up to $50 million if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to keep children under 16 off their platforms.

New laws to enforce age limits on social media were passed by the Senate late Thursday evening (photo, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)

There are no penalties for parents or children who violate the age restrictions.

‘Messaging apps’, ‘online gaming services’ and ‘services whose primary purpose is to support the health and education of end users’ are not included in the ban.

YouTube is also left out.

Although the bill enjoyed bipartisan support, several Coalition members broke ranks on the issues over concerns that a ban on social media would be an unwarranted restriction on speech and communication, paving the way for broader censorship.

Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic crossed the floor on Thursday evening to vote against the laws with the entire crossbench, while Liberal Richard Colbeck abstained.

Under the new laws, social media giants will face fines of up to $50 million for failing to take “reasonable steps” to keep children under 16 off their platforms.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer left her party earlier this week to vote against the bill on Wednesday.

The decision to pass the bill followed an hour-long debate in which the major parties raised questions about the controversial rule.

Suicide Prevention Australia executive director Christopher Stone said the laws were rushed and would not address the problems of bullying and predation as the government had claimed.

“The government is hitting a wall blindfolded by rushing this legislation,” he said.

“It has bypassed the rigorous consultation and scrutiny required for such a far-reaching decision.

“Young Australians deserve evidence-based policies, not hasty decisions.

‘This legislation fails to take into account the positive aspects of social media in supporting young people’s mental health and sense of belonging.’