The federal government plans to introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.
In an announcement aimed at “mums and dads”, the prime minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed law will be presented to a virtual sitting of the national cabinet on Friday morning.
The national ban will come into effect 12 months after being passed.
“Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it,” he said.
“I've spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. And I want Australian parents and families to know that the Government has your back.
“I want parents to be able to say, ‘sorry mate, it's against the law for me to get you to do this’.”
The legislation, if passed, would not include grandfathering clauses which means young people already on social media will not be exempt from the ban.
It also won't allow underage children to sign up, even with parental consent.
“We don't argue that the changes that we will be legislating will fix everything immediately,” Albanese said.
“We have laws such as people can't buy alcohol if they're under 18, and from time to time that can be broken, but those laws set what the parameters are for our society and they assist in ensuring the right outcomes.”
The eSafety Commissioner will provide oversight and enforcement.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.