A world-first ban on social media accounts for under-16 persons in Australia comes into effect today.
Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Snapchat, Kick, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit and YouTube are among the platforms required to enforce the new legislation
Other affected teens have mixed views, with some “insulted” and others saying they’ll “quickly get over it” – get in touch to let us know your thoughts
The government says the ban is aimed at protecting young people from harmful content, but critics suggest it could isolate vulnerable teenagers and push children into unregulated corners of the internet
This is a bold move that many other countries are watching carefully – but how the government will judge success is unclear
‘When our Snapchat is taken away, so is our communication’ says outback teen
A mother said, ‘I don’t need laws to teach my kids to be responsible’.
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, has tempered expectations around the removal of under-16 accounts in interviews today, saying that there ban would face “teething problems”.
“I don’t expect that they’re all going to magically disappear,” she said of the under-16 accounts on Channel Nine’s Today programme.
She said there may be “blatant non-compliance” from tech companies, “but we’ve got plans for that”.
Later speaking on ABC, Grant said: “Technology companies are used to moving fast and breaking things. They can certainly move fast and improve things, and that means deactivating these under-16 accounts.”
She acknowledged some nerves over the ban – and the global attention on it. “I’ve aged in dog years,” she told Channel Nine.
But she added: “I’m trying to contain my excitement”.
