Australia bans under-16s from social media “to protect their development”

From the BMJ, 5 December 2024:

Children and young people aged under 16 will be banned from a range of social media platforms in Australia within a year, after the federal parliament passed a law to “deliver greater protections for young Australians during critical stages of their development.”

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 will require social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, and X to take reasonable steps to prevent anyone younger than 16 from setting up or holding an account on those platforms. Tech companies will face fines of up to AU$49.5m (£25.1m; €30.2m; $31.7m) for “systemic breaches.” The law exempts messaging services, online gaming, and platforms such as YouTube. Read more.