Australia will be banned social media for children under the age of 16 in order to minimize “harm caused to young people” through the platforms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced The measures on Thursday follow a decision taken by his government on Monday.

“Social media is harming our children and I’m giving it time,” Albanese said at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. “I’ve talked to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They, like me, are very concerned about our children’s online safety.”

“We are not claiming that the changes we enact will instantly solve everything,” he added. “We have laws, like people can’t buy alcohol if they’re under 18, and those can be broken from time to time. But these laws set the parameters for our society and help ensure the right outcomes.”

Albanese said the law would not allow exemptions for users under 16 with parental consent and would not adopt “grandfathering arrangements” for teenagers already on social media.

The government plans to put “responsibility on social media platforms” rather than parents and young people. Major tech companies are making slow progress in this area; for example, instagram newly added Teen Accounts, A more restricted way for teens under 16 to use the app.

Most social media platforms included tiktok, instagramAnd on Snapchat Do not allow users under 13 to create accounts; There are varying levels of restrictions for users under 16 and 18. But in August, US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against TikTok Allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), allowing children to create accounts without parental consent, and collecting personal information from children under 13. several cases Against TikTok on child safety grounds across the US.

Studies around young people, mental health and social media there is no shortage of supply. In his speech, the Prime Minister drew particular attention to the campaigns run by Australian media organizations around the legislation. Discussed NewsCorp’s “Let Them Be Children” campaign. Social change initiative 36Months, campaigned Motions to ban social media for people under the age of 16 in Australia were also present in the Parliament House on Wednesday.

So what is the timeline for Australia’s social media ban?

The Australian government will set out the details of the law at a virtual national cabinet meeting on Friday, where it will be introduced to Parliament within two weeks and come into force 12 months after it is passed. Minister of Communications Michelle Rowland said that “social media companies have been notified” and emphasized that there is a one-year preparation period for the law to be implemented.

The law’s new definition of age restrictions on social media will be adapted from Australia’s existing regulation Online Security Act. This law, which came into force in 2021, is just like the country’s online harm protection law UK version. e-Safety CommissionerAustralia’s independent regulator of online safety will “provide oversight and enforcement” by publishing regulatory guidance for social media platforms.

Okay, so which social media platforms will Australia’s ban cover?

When asked about specific social media platforms, Rowland said: “There will be a definition in the Act in terms of the services that will be covered. But I think it is generally understood that definitions of what constitutes social media include: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. YouTube also probably falls within that definition.”

How will the social media ban be implemented in Australia?

In summary, it is currently unclear exactly how the social media ban will be regulated, as the prime minister has said that “there will be no penalties for users”. When asked about age restrictions and the practicalities around this (how identification will work etc.), Rowland said an “age assurance trial” will be held next year where the government will examine platforms’ individual measures and whether they are sufficient.

“Measures will need to be put in place to ensure that reasonable steps are taken by the platforms to ensure that the age limit is respected,” he said.

“These platforms know their users better than anyone else. These platforms understand their habits, their abilities, what kind of content should be directed to them, what their behavior is. So this year, this is the main focus, which we will consider from an implementation perspective.”

For more information on internet safety for kids, Mashable has you covered.