Australia to ban social media for kids under 16

Australia is set to ban social media for kids under 16, in a stated attempt to minimise “harms that are being caused to young people” through the platforms.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the measures on Thursday, after a decision by his government on Monday. “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said in a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. “I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online.” “We don’t argue that the changes that we will be legislating will fix everything immediately,” he added. “We have laws such as people can’t buy alcohol if they’re under 18, and from time to time that can be broken. But those laws set what the parameters are for our society and they assist in ensuring the right outcomes.” SEE ALSO: Teens feel burnt out. Social media can make it worse. Albanese said the law will not allow exemptions for users under 16 who have parental consent, nor will it accept “grandfathering arrangements” for young people already on social media. The government intends to put “the onus will be on social media platforms” instead of parents and teens. Big tech companies are making slow progress in this space — for example, Instagram recently added Teen Accounts, a more restricted way for teens under 16 to use the app. Most social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat don’t let…Australia to ban social media for kids under 16