In November 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 was passed, which banned children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Whilst the Bill did not individually name the social media platforms to which this ban would apply to, Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, confirmed that these laws would apply - at a minimum - to TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and X.
Shadow Minister for Education, Sarah Henderson, claimed that these restrictions were "absolutely critical" due to the severe mental health impacts which young people are suffering due to social media use being unregulated by parents or carers, and by the platforms themselves.
However, a recent eSafety Commissioner Report revealed that this ban has been largely unsuccessful as most children under 16 are still using social media. The Report discovered that 80% of surveyed children aged 8-12, and 95% of surveyed children aged 13-15, are using one or more social media platforms. These platforms ranged from Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Discord. Of the surveyed children, 54% had accessed social media through their parent's or carer's account, whilst 36% had their own account.
So, why did the ban not work?
The ban relied significantly on truthful age declaration so that social media platforms could prevent users under 16 from making an account. However, children making an account could easily falsify their age or alternatively, use their parents' accounts to access social media. Additionally, different platforms sought to enforce the ban in different ways rather than using one consistent and unified method. Accordingly, some platforms were more committed to preventing users under 16 from accessing their platform, whilst others were less effective in achieving this aim.
The Bill has also faced significant backlash and public criticism. Notably, the Human Rights Law Centre claimed that "these laws would undermine the human rights of young people in unacceptable ways, including their rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy." They argue that this social media ban does not effectively address the real problem and instead, the government should focus on making social media platforms for everyone, and holding these platforms accountable.