On November 28th local time, Australia passed a bill prohibiting minors under the age of 16 from using social media platforms.
According to the bill, minors under the age of 16 are not allowed to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat, even with parental consent.
Public opinion polls show that the majority of Australians hold a positive attitude towards the bill.

For a long time, the ruling Labor Party and the main opposition Liberal Party in Australia have rarely been able to reach a consensus on a certain issue, but they have shown a rare consensus in pushing for the passage of this ban.

How was the strictest law enacted?
According to a survey by the Australian government, about two-thirds of teenagers aged 14 to 17 are exposed to harmful content through social media platforms, including violence, self harm, suicide, and substance abuse.
Unhealthy eating habits, distorted body image propaganda, and other extreme ideas are widely spread on social media platforms, causing significant impact on Australian minors.

Australian schools and parents are increasingly concerned about the internet safety of teenagers.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese bluntly stated that social media platforms can become tools for bullies, platforms for peer pressure, drivers of anxiety, and tools for fraudsters.

In June of this year, the Australian opposition Liberal Party proposed a proposal regarding age restrictions for accessing social media platforms, which received support from the Australian Labour government.
On November 7th, Albanese announced that measures will be taken to prohibit minors under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, even if their parents agree to their online behavior.
On November 21st, the Australian government submitted the bill to the Federal Parliament for review.
On November 28th, both houses of the Federal Parliament passed the bill, solidifying the relevant provisions in legal form.
The law will be implemented on a trial basis starting from January next year and will officially come into effect after one year of trial. The trial phase is mainly set up to allow time for social media companies to adjust their platform operation rules.
According to foreign media reports, this is “one of the strictest control measures implemented in all countries so far”, and Australia can be considered a “world leader” in this regard.
Should supervision be strengthened?
The Australian government has introduced this ban in response to mainstream public concerns and to strengthen the protection of minors.
But there are also many voices that believe that the ban is too strict and the process of introduction is very hasty, without fully considering the concerns of all parties, and there is a problem of “one size fits all”.
Especially the social media giants who have been passive in “cheese” have spoken out one after another, some accusing and some calling for justice.

Elon Musk, the owner of X platform, believes that the platform is not the main gathering place for minors and accuses this bill of infringing on freedom of speech.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is “concerned” about the introduction of this bill, believing that Australia hastily passed the bill without considering the measures already taken by the industry.
Many social media giants are psychologically imbalanced, pointing out that the ban only applies to social media platforms, while YouTube and some online gaming platforms can remain unaffected.
Currently, the problem of minors addicted to the internet and suffering from online violence has become a global issue.
The issue of protecting minors in the digital age has attracted widespread attention from various countries.
But in this regard, global public opinion shows a clear polarization trend.
Supporters believe that strengthening regulation can help reduce the negative impact of harmful information on the physical and mental health of young people, while opponents worry that excessive regulation may further widen the digital divide and deprive some children from disadvantaged families of opportunities to interact with the outside world.
From a global perspective, strengthening the protection of minors online has become a consensus in an increasing number of countries.
At present, many countries such as China, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have introduced relevant laws and regulations, or clarified age restrictions, or strengthened platform control, and have explored ways to ensure the health and safety of young people online.

It is obvious that strengthening the supervision of minors’ online activities is not a matter of “doing or not doing”, but rather a matter of how to scientifically grasp the “degree”.