In a world-first law, the Australian Senate passed legislation in November 2024 that will ban social media access for children and teenagers. Aiming to protect their mental health and wellbeing, anyone under the age of 16 will be blocked from using TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and similar platforms when the laws come into effect at the end of 2025. Unlike in France, where under 15s are banned and parental consent circumvents the laws, there will be no exemptions from the law for any Australian children, including those who already have social media accounts.
Australia Takes a Firm Stance Against Social Media for Teens
“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. He says young people should be out on the footy field instead of on their devices consuming negative social media content. “If you’re a 14-year-old kid getting this stuff, at a time where you’re going through life’s changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time, and what we’re doing is listening and then acting.”
Under the laws, social media companies could be fined up to $50 million for failing to take reasonable steps to keep children off their platforms. The onus won’t be on parents or children but on social media platforms to uphold the law. The question remains: will New Zealand ever follow our neighbours across the ditch?
The Debate Around Social Media Bans
Arguments Against the Ban
Netsafe’s CEO Brent Carey argues the ban distracts from deeper issues. He says many young people rely on social media spaces for support, including mental health services, the reason for the laws.
With improved digital literacy education and critical thinking about online spaces, Carey says we’d address the issues the social media ban tackles. He says that when mobile phones were banned in schools in April 2024, students simply accessed social media on other devices, driving unwanted behaviours underground. A social media ban might do the same.
Social media plays an integral role in modern daily life. At its best, social media connects everyone to communities of like-minded people who share their niche interests and sparks creativity and innovation. At its worst, social media is fraught with cyberbullying, privacy breaches and misinformation and can lead to addiction, sleep and mental health issues.
Support for the Ban
Some Australian critics say that the social media ban is blunt, delays but doesn’t address the problem, and prevents crucial conversations from being had. Parents cannot decide what’s best for their children, and many children might feel unable to talk to adults about their online lives. Instead of slowly introducing children to digital spaces, they will abruptly enter the online world at the age of 17, its harms intensified by the sudden change.
Supporters of the ban see it as long overdue. They say social media companies continue to fail to protect children from digital harm and cite research which proves tricky algorithms often amplify negative content, making it hard to avoid distressing content. They prefer the abrupt introduction at 17 to early exposure to harmful content during vulnerable developmental years; 17-year-olds are more mature.
Will New Zealand Follow Suit?
New Zealand rangatahi won’t be disconnected any time soon. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he’s open to proposals to introduce a similar ban, but it isn’t on his immediate agenda. Labour leader Chris Hipkins encourages parents to know what their kids are looking at online. “Whether there should be mandatory requirements or not, that’s not something that I’ve looked at.”
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