"Under 16 Prohibited from SNS"... This Country Takes Strong Measures

"SNS is harming children"
"Ban SNS even with parental consent"

As smartphone addiction has emerged as a social issue worldwide, Australia has decided to enact a law banning SNS use for children under 16.

On the 7th (local time), Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at a press conference that a law banning SNS use for children under 16 will be proposed to the parliament later this month. He pointed out that excessive SNS use poses physical and mental health risks to children, stating, "SNS is harming our children." He specifically mentioned, "Female students are placed in dangerous situations due to misogynistic content targeting male students." He added, "For children who are maturing through life changes, encountering such content can be a really difficult time."

The Australian government stated that the new law will apply without exception even to children who have parental consent. It also explained that the responsibility and measures to block children's access to SNS lie with the SNS platform companies. If children use SNS, neither the children nor their parents will be punished; instead, SNS companies will be checked on whether they have taken appropriate measures to prevent this, and if they fail to do so, they will face hefty fines.

The Australian government indicated that this issue will be discussed at the national leaders' meeting with state premiers held via video conference on the 8th, and after being submitted to parliament later this month and passing through the legislature, the law will be enforced 12 months later. During this grace period, each SNS platform must prepare implementation plans to prohibit child use. Regarding this, Michelle Rowland, Australian Minister for Communications, said this law will be the strongest SNS regulatory bill in the world. She also stated that platforms subject to this law are expected to include Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

Australia is not the only country pushing to restrict SNS use among adolescents. Previously, Norway also decided to raise the minimum age for SNS use from 13 to 15. Additionally, Florida in the United States is promoting a bill that prohibits youths under 14 from creating SNS accounts, and requires parental permission for those aged 15 to 16 to use SNS. France plans to implement a policy of confiscating smartphones after school in middle schools starting next year, and the United Kingdom has restricted children under 13 from creating SNS accounts.