Australia's Lower House Passes Bill To Ban Social Media For Children Under 16

The Australian Parliament's House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the bill to ban social media for children under 16, voting 102 to 13 with bipartisan support.

The government was keen to pass the bill by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday, despite opposition from Nationals senator Matt Canavan and the Greens.

Excessive use of social media endangered the physical and mental well-being of children, the Labor government contended, and urged parents to back the initiative, Reuters reported.

"Young people, and in particular diverse cohorts, must be at the centre of the conversation as an age restriction is implemented to ensure there are constructive pathways for connection," committee Chair Senator Karen Grogan said.

The proposed law would require social media platforms to implement age-verification measures, with companies facing fines of up to AU$49.5 million for repeated violations, Reuters reported.

The age-verification system may involve biometrics or government-issued identification.

The Senate committee, however, added a provision stating that social media platforms should not require users to submit personal data, such as passports or other digital identification, to verify their age; instead, they should use alternative methods for assessing a user's age, reported News.com.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland also assured Labor MPs that users would not be required to provide sensitive information to tech companies.

The implementation of the ban will be guided by the government's age assurance trial, which will assess the effectiveness of current technologies and is expected to conclude in 2025.

The Age Assurance Technology Trial is a key part of the government's online safety efforts, which will be used to block access to adult content for children under 18 and restrict social media use for those under 16.

The trial, led by the Additional Child Care Subsidy, an independent body for age assurance, will test various methods like age verification, parental controls, and age estimation technologies in live situations. These age assurance methods include verifying identity to determine age accurately or estimating age using biometrics or online behavior patterns.

The committee also urged the government to "meaningfully engage" with youth when drafting the law.

Senator Canavan, one of the three Coalition MPs considering opposing the bill, argued that parliament needed more time for public scrutiny due to the complex nature of regulating modern technologies.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized Labor and Coalition for attempting to "ram through this so-called 'world-leading' legislation without any scrutiny."

"Given this legislation would be a world first — with no country successfully implementing an age ban — it is more important than ever that the detail is thought out properly," she stated.

The Australian Human Rights Commission had opposed the ban, arguing it infringed on children's right to self-expression. However, a YouGov survey released this week showed strong public support, with 77% of Australians backing the ban, up from 61% in August.

In their submissions to parliament, Google and Meta asked for the ban to be delayed until the age-verification trial concluded. TikTok argued the bill needed more consultation, while Elon Musk's X warned that the proposed law could harm children's human rights.