Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 has officially come into effect, the first of its kind in the world, with thousands of accounts being shut down across apps.
“It’s a profound reform, which will continue to reverberate around the world in coming months, to assist not just this generation, but generations to come,” Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared.
“It is about our families taking back control. Technology can have an amazing impact on making our life easier, but it is important, as technology develops, that humans keep control,” he added.
Albanese called on children in the country to learn an instrument, play sport and engage with each other, instead of using social media.
Around 200,000 TikTok (TIKTOK) accounts, 440,000 Snapchat (SNAP) accounts, 150,000 Facebook accounts and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be paused until the users turn 16.
Social media companies can face fines of up to A$49.5M (~$33M) if they fail to comply with the ban.
The move is aimed at protecting children’s mental health from harmful content, cyberbullying, addictive algorithms, and misinformation.
Australia’s ban is being closely watched by countries worldwide. Malaysia, New Zealand and Denmark have already proposed similar bans.
Some European countries require parental/guardian consent for children creating social media accounts. Certain U.S. states like Utah and Texas require age verification.