Australia unravels new law to ban children from accessing social networks

September 10 () –

Australian authorities on Tuesday outlined a bill that would ban children from accessing social media, with restrictions that would apply to children between the ages of 14 and 16 and that would come into effect later this year.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stressed that he “prefers to see young people in parks rather than in front of screens” and has referred to social media and similar platforms as a “scourge” for Australian minors. He has thus explained that an age verification system will be put in place over the next few months before the new legislation is properly implemented.

“We want children to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is damaging society,” he said in statements reported by Australian television channel ABC.

For his part, the head of government has clarified that he supports the idea of ​​banning access to networks such as Facebook, TikTok or Instagram for minors under 16 years of age, a position that has even been supported by the leader of the conservative opposition, Peter Dutton. “Every day of delay leaves children vulnerable to the threats of social networks,” he clarified.