Albo’s full social media BAN list is exposed: TikTok and Snapchat are in the PM’s sights – but there are some exceptions
Tiktok, Snapchat and Reddit are among the social media platforms that will have to ban children under the age of 16 – but WhatsApp and YouTube have been singled out as
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland presented the world’s first legislation to federal parliament on Thursday, saying it would make the online environment safer for young people.
Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, are among the platforms that will have to impose age restrictions on users.
However, Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline, Google Classroom and YouTube are expected to be classified as ‘out of scope services’.
Including messaging apps in the ban could have wider implications as it makes communication within families more difficult, Ms Rowland said.
Companies that violate the minimum age requirement face fines of up to $49.5 million.
“The bill … does not provide the magic pill to solve or eliminate all the harm children face online, nor does it seek to eliminate digital participation and inclusion for young people,” Ms Rowland said.
‘This is about protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them, and about letting parents know we are in their corner when it comes to supporting the health and wellbeing of their children.’
According to the draft law, social media platforms would have to take reasonable steps to prevent young people under the age of 16 from having accounts.
There will be a minimum lead-in period of 12 months before the ban is activated.
Parents cannot give permission for their children to use social media, and users are not required to hand over sensitive IDs to platforms.
The measures will also allow the minister to exclude certain services from the ban, including messaging services, online games and health and education platforms.
Australia would be the first country to introduce an age ban on social media.
Age verification trials are being conducted to determine how the ban will be enforced.