Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Announces Plan to Ban Minors from Social Media in Move to Protect Young Minds
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
5 minutes read. Updated 6:51PM GMT Wed, 11 September, 2024
erge of implementing a landmark policy that would ban children from using social media, citing growing concerns over the impact of platforms like Instagram and TikTok on the physical and mental health of young people. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced on Tuesday that the government is set to trial an age verification system in the coming months, with legislation to enforce the ban expected to follow soon. The proposed minimum age for social media access is being debated, with a range between 14 to 16 years under consideration.
Albanese highlighted the distress faced by parents who are increasingly “worried sick” about their children’s social media usage, describing the current situation as “working without a map.” Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he stressed, “Parents want their kids off their phones and on the footy field. So, do I. We are taking this action because enough is enough.”
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton of the centre-right Liberal Party, has previously indicated support for banning social media access for those under 16, aligning with global trends as nations like China, France, and various U.S. states move to limit minors’ exposure to online risks ranging from cyberbullying to the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards.
However, the proposal has sparked significant debate. Critics argue that such measures infringe on the rights of young people to express themselves and raise concerns about potential privacy violations. Daniel Angus, a professor of digital communication at Queensland University of Technology, strongly criticized the proposed ban, labeling it “reckless” and a “misguided distraction” from addressing the core issues.
“Excluding young people from meaningful, healthy participation in the digital world could drive them towards lower quality online spaces and remove an important means of social connection,” Angus commented on LinkedIn. He further noted that the ban risks allowing large platforms to evade necessary reforms to improve content quality, stating, “This simply places a gate at the door rather than improving what’s on the other side.”
As the Australian government prepares to move forward with the ban, the debate continues to intensify, with questions over its potential effectiveness and broader societal impacts yet to be fully answered.
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