"Under the new law, which was approved late last year, no one under the age of 16 in Australia will be allowed to set up accounts on platforms including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Twitch, and Reddit. Any accounts for people in that age category will be deactivated or removed. The law is meant to protect the mental health of children from the addictive nature of social media."
"Anika Wells, the country's communications minister, said those extra years will help children mature more before they take part in social media. "We want children to have childhoods. We want parents to have peace of mind and we want young people-young Australians-to have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are," she said earlier this year."
"The legislation is being watched carefully by other governments, which have struggled with the impact of social media on young minds. If Australian children show improvements in their mental (and physical) health, with reduced reports of depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, and more, the country's policies could become a blueprint for other nations. Several have already put plans into motion."
Australia enacted a law prohibiting anyone under 16 from creating accounts on major platforms, with existing under-16 accounts to be deactivated or removed. The law targets protection of children's mental health from social media's addictive features. Communications minister Anika Wells said the three-year increase over other minimums aims to let children mature and give parents peace of mind while allowing young Australians time to form identities before online platforms assume them. Several governments and regional bodies are pursuing similar rules, and outcomes in Australia may inform or inspire comparable policies elsewhere.
Read at Fast Company
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