Australia approved on Thursday (27) a ban on social media for children under 16, following an emotional debate that swept the nation, establishing a benchmark for jurisdictions worldwide with one of the strictest regulations aimed at big tech.
The law forces tech giants like Instagram and TikTok to prevent logins from minors or face fines of up to $32 million. A trial of methods to enforce it will begin in January, with the ban taking effect in a year.
The Minimum Age for Social Media law positions Australia as a test case for a growing number of governments planning to legislate age restrictions on social media, due to concerns about its impact on young people’s mental health.
Countries like France and some U.S. states have passed laws to restrict minors’ access without parental permission, but the Australian ban is absolute. The total ban on under-14s in Florida is being challenged in court on free speech grounds.
Which other countries also regulate social media for minors?
Norway
The Norwegian government proposed last month to raise the age at which children can sign the required consent terms to use social media from 13 to 15, although parents can still sign on their behalf.
France
In 2023, France passed a law requiring social platforms to obtain parental consent for minors under 15 to create accounts. However, local media reports that technical challenges mean the measure has not yet been implemented. In April, a panel commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron recommended stricter rules, including a ban on cell phones for children under 11 and internet-enabled phones for those under 13.
Germany
Officially, minors aged 13 to 16 can only use social media in Germany if parents give consent. Currently, there are no plans to go further. However, child protection advocates argue that controls are insufficient and call for better enforcement of existing rules.
Belgium
In 2018, Belgium enacted a law requiring children to be at least 13 years old to create a social media account without parental authorization.
Netherlands
Although the Netherlands has no law regarding a minimum age for social media use, the government banned cell phones in classrooms starting January 2024.
Italy
In Italy, children under 14 need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, but no consent is required from that age onward.
Source: Reuters