Can children and teenagers be forced off social media en masse? Australia is about to find out.
More than 1 million social media accounts held by users under 16 are set to be deactivated in Australia on Wednesday in a divisive world-first ban that has inflamed a culture war and is being closely watched in the United States and elsewhere.
Social media companies will have to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that under-16s in Australia cannot set up accounts on their platforms and that existing accounts are deactivated or removed.
Australian officials say the landmark ban, which lawmakers swiftly approved late last year, is meant to protect children from addictive social media platforms that experts say can be disastrous for their mental health.
“With one law, we can protect Generation Alpha from being sucked into purgatory by predatory algorithms described by the man who created the feature as ‘behavioral cocaine,’” Communications Minister Anika Wells told the National Press Club in Canberra last week.
While many parents and even their children have welcomed the ban, others say it will hinder young people’s ability to express themselves and connect with others, as well as access online support that is crucial for those from marginalized groups or living in isolated parts of rural Australia. Two 15-year-olds have brought a legal challenge against it to the nation’s highest court.
Supporters say the rest of the world will soon follow the example set by the Australian ban, which faced fierce resistance from social media companies.
“I’ve always referred to this as the first domino, which is why they pushed back,” Julie Inman Grant, who regulates online safety as Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, said at an event in Sydney last week.
Social media companies will be responsible for enforcing the ban, paying fines of up to 49.5 Australian dollars (about $32 million) for serious or repeated breaches. Children and parents will not be punished for any infringements.
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat and Reddit are all set to be age-restricted under the law, according to a list shared by the eSafety Commissioner. All of the platforms have said they will comply, and some have taken action before the ban even takes effect, with Meta saying last month that it would start closing Instagram, Threads and Facebook accounts on Dec. 4.
The ban has broad support in Australia, where a YouGov poll last year found that 77% of respondents were in favor of it. Supporters say it will encourage children to prioritize in-person interactions, boosting their social skills.
“Social media is a misnomer,” said Jen Hummelshoj, 45, mother of 12-year-old Nina. “The apps want kids to be focused on their phone and not their friends.”
Nina does not have a phone or any social media accounts. She supports the ban’s intent, arguing that social media is an overpowering distraction for young people.
“When I’m trying to chat to someone, they might say, ‘Just a minute,’ and they’re doing something on social media,” she said in a phone interview from Canberra.
According to a national study the Australian government commissioned this year, 96% of children ages 10 to 15 use social media. Seven out of 10 of them have been exposed to harmful content and behavior, including misogynistic material, fight videos and content promoting eating disorders and suicide.
One in 7 also reported having experienced grooming-type behavior from adults or older children, and more than half said they had been the victims of cyberbullying.
William Young, 14, said most social media platforms, in their current form, were unsafe for children, citing Snapchat as an example.
“You can friend anyone without knowing who they are. It deletes messages after they’ve sent. … It’s just not a good platform,” he said in a phone interview from Perth.
