Australia’s plan to stop children under 16 from using social media from December has drawn international attention, with the European Commission president calling the move “plain common sense” during an event at the sidelines of the United Nations in New York.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told world leaders that the law, passed in November 2024, would “give Australian teens three more years of being shaped by real-life experience, not algorithms.” The government wants tech companies to use artificial intelligence and behavioural data to estimate users’ ages, instead of blanket ID checks.
What the European Commission President said
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she had been “inspired” by Australia’s example. “Many member states believe the time has come for a ‘digital majority age’ for access to social media,” she said. “I must tell you as a mother of seven children, and grandmother of five, I share their view.”
Australia presented the policy at a UN side event on protecting children online, attended by leaders from Greece, Malta, Fiji and Tonga. Emma Mason, a mother from Bathurst whose 15-year-old daughter Tilly died by suicide after being bullied online, also addressed the gathering.
“Death by bullying enabled by social media,” Mason said, describing the harassment her daughter faced and the harmful content found on her phone after her death. “So now I ask you to hold my Tilly and all the lost children in your hearts and do what you can to change the narrative across our world for Tilly’s sake because how many more Tillys must die?”
Her speech received a standing ovation. Albanese praised her testimony, saying, “If I had the power to hand out Orders of Australia, I would have walked up on stage here and given Emma one on the spot.”
The Australian government cites research linking excessive social media use among young teens with mental health problems, bullying, misinformation and body image issues.
Background to the Social Media Ban in Australia
Australia began its journey toward social media legislation in October 2023, banning smartphones in public schools and initiating discussions on restricting social media for teens. By October 2024, the government announced trials for age verification technologies to protect children online and floated the proposed legislation. On November 29, 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 passed Parliament, imposing a blanket ban on social media use for individuals under 16.
The law places the responsibility on social media companies to enforce the ban, with platforms given a year to comply and fines of up to $32.5 million for non-compliance. It aims to protect children from cyberbullying, harmful content, and body image issues, while giving parents confidence that their children can have a safer online experience.
Initially Australia’s law exempted YouTube…
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