Young Australians under the age of 16 will be banned from social media by the end of next year, after federal parliament passed world-first legislation.
The Senate passed laws to ban minors under 16 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to protect their mental health on Thursday night on the final day of the 2024 parliament session.
The move comes despite concerns that the proposal was rushed through parliament without proper scrutiny, given that Australia would be the first country to implement such a ban.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the age limit would keep children and teenagers safe online.
“We know that parents are concerned about harm to children and we have made the decision to support them,” he told parliament.
“Keeping Australians safe online requires decisive action and the Albanian government is delivering exactly that.”
An inquiry into the new laws lasted just three hours, with Australians only given one day to make their submissions, while critics claimed there was little consultation with those directly affected by the new laws.
Under the new laws, social media giants will face fines of up to $50 million if they do not take “reasonable steps” to keep children under 16 away from their platforms.
Those under 16 will be banned from social media platforms at the end of next year.
The Senate passed new laws to enforce age limits on social media on Thursday night (pictured Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)
There are no penalties for parents or children who violate age restrictions.
“Messaging applications,” “online gaming services,” and “services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end users” are not included in the ban.
YouTube has also been omitted.
While the bill had bipartisan support, several Coalition members broke ranks over the issues over concerns that the social media bans were an unwarranted restriction on speech and communication, paving the way for broader censorship.
Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic crossed the floor to vote with the entire bench against the laws on Thursday night, while Liberal Richard Colbeck abstained.
Under the new laws, social media giants will face fines of up to $50 million for failing to take “reasonable measures” to keep children under 16 away from their platforms.
Liberal MP Bridget Archer broke with her party earlier this week to vote against the bill on Wednesday.
The decision to approve the bill came after an hour-long debate in which members of the bench questioned the main parties about the controversial rule.
Suicide Prevention Australia chief executive Christopher Stone said the laws had been rushed and would not address issues of bullying and predation as the government had claimed.
“The government is running blindfolded into a brick wall by rushing this legislation,” he said.
‘You have overlooked the rigorous consultation and scrutiny necessary for such a wide-ranging decision.
‘Young Australians deserve evidence-based policies, not hastily made decisions.
“This legislation fails to take into account the positive aspects of social media to support young people’s mental health and sense of connection.”