Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the government will introduce legislation by the end of 2024 to ban children from using social media platforms, with a proposed minimum age limit likely between 14 and 16 years.
Albanese described the impact of social media on young people as a “scourge” and expressed a desire to see children spending more time engaging in physical activities like sports rather than on their devices.
An age verification trial will be conducted in the coming months as a precursor to the legislation. Albanese emphasized the importance of children having “real experiences with real people” and stated that his personal preference is to set the age limit at 16.
