Australia yesterday said it planned to introduce legislation this year to ban children from using social media platforms, citing the risks it could pose to physical and mental health.
PM Anthony Albanese said his government would begin an age verification trial over the next few months.
“I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts. We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm,” Albanese told ABC News.
He did not specify the age limits for the ban but said he was “looking at the range between 14 and 16.”
The move comes after Australia’s eSafety regulator in July asked internet firms to come up with an enforceable code detailing how it will stop children seeing inappropriate material.
