Australia proposes social media ban for children under 16

New Delhi: The Australian government has announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. 

According to news reports, the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the declaration, emphasising the urgent need to safeguard the youth from the potential harms associated with digital platforms.

"The social media experiment on our children has been running for too long without adequate safeguards," said Albanese during a press conference in Canberra. "Social media is doing real harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it."

This legislative measure, expected to be tabled in parliament this month, aims to address concerns over the impact of social media on mental and physical health, particularly focusing on issues like unrealistic body image standards, exposure to inappropriate content, and the overall well-being of young Australians. 

The Australian government clarified that while social media platforms may face penalties for breaching age limits, children and parents will not be held accountable. "The responsibility will rest with social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to restrict access. Parents and young people won’t bear that burden," stated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.