Australia is booting kids under 16 off social media. Some senators hope the US is next: 'Our lack of action is inexcusable.'

"It was the latest move in a growing global effort to protect young people fromthe harmful effects of social media. A group of American senators is hoping the US will do the same. "Australia is stepping up to protect kids from the addictive and harmful content being constantly fed to them on social media. It's now time for Congress to do the same and pass the Kids Off Social Media Act," Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, a Democrat, said in a statement to Business Insider."

""The onus will be on social media companies to ensure no child under 16 is on their platforms. If they have not taken reasonable steps to remove them, they will have broken Australian law and be subject to substantial fines," Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in an op-ed in a local newspaper on Sunday. "Social media companies have a social responsibility. That responsibility starts with the protection of Australian children.""

Australia's law now prohibits children under 16 from creating social media accounts and requires platforms to prevent under-16 users from registering. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, and YouTube must take reasonable steps to remove or block underage accounts or face substantial fines. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that social media companies have a responsibility to protect Australian children. Lawmakers in Norway and Denmark have proposed similar bans for under 15, and Malaysia will implement a ban for under 16 in 2026. U.S. senators introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act to pursue comparable restrictions. Research links social media use with mental health harms among children.

Read at Business Insider