Australia is to ban young children from using social media, promises Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and adds that national legislation will be introduced as early as this year.
The minimum age for children to use services like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok has not been determined yet, but is expected to land between 14 and 16 years. The Prime Minister's own preference would be 16 years, he says.
I want to see children getting away from their screens and instead getting out on football pitches, tennis courts, and in swimming pools, he says to TV channel ABC, and adds:
We want them to have real experiences with real people, because we know that social media causes harm.
An attempt to introduce age verification will be made in the coming months, before legislation is introduced at the end of the year, says Albanese.
