The Australian government has pledged to introduce what it describes as “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from accessing social media.

“Social media is hurting our children and I’m putting a stop to it,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They, like me, are very concerned about our children’s safety online.”

The bill will be presented to the country’s parliament during its last two weeks of session this year, starting November 18.

Mr Albanese said the age limit would come into force a year after the law was passed – with platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Elon MuskX and Bytedance TikTok use these 12 months to work on how to exclude Australian children under 16.

The alphabet YouTube would likely also fall within the scope of the legislation, said AustraliaCommunications Minister Michelle Rowland.

Platforms will be penalized for non-compliance with the age limit, but not minor children and their parents.

“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. This responsibility will not fall on parents or young people,” Mr Albanese said.

There will be no exemption for children who have parental consent or who already have an account.

However, Mr Albanese said there would be exemptions in circumstances such as the need to continue access to educational services.

Owner of Facebook and Instagram Meta said its platforms would respect any age limits the government wishes to introduce.

Antigone Davis, head of security at Meta, said: “However, what is missing is a deeper discussion about how we implement protections, otherwise we risk feeling better as if we had acted , but teenagers and parents will not find themselves in a better situation. place.”

More powerful tools in app stores and operating systems that allow parents to control what apps their children can use would be a “simple and effective solution,” she added.

Read more on Sky News:
Earthshot host ‘cries all day’ after Trump win
Single people ‘more likely to be depressed’

The Digital Industry Group (DIGI), a representative body that includes Alphabet’s Meta, TikTok, X and Google among its members, said the move could encourage children to explore the darker, unregulated parts of the internet while by cutting off their access to support networks.

“Keeping young people safe online is a top priority… but the proposed ban on teenagers accessing digital platforms is a 20th century answer to 21st century challenges,” said Sunita Bose, chief executive of DIGI.

“Rather than blocking access with bans, we need to take a balanced approach to creating age-appropriate spaces, developing digital literacy and protecting young people from online dangers,” she added.

More than 140 Australian and international academics with expertise in areas relating to technology and child protection signed an open letter to Mr Albanese last month opposing an age limit on social media , calling it “too brutal an instrument to effectively manage risks”.