Australian teenagers under 16 banned from social media, how it works 0 13

A law has come into effect in Australia that requires major social networks, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, to block access for teenagers under 16. This was reported by Reuters.

"My playlist of over 1400 songs on YouTube will be deleted, and Reddit too, I have zero friends... I will be completely alone for the next three years until I turn 16," the agency quotes one teenager.

According to the Australian government, around 200,000 accounts have already been deactivated on TikTok, and "hundreds of thousands" will be blocked in the coming days. Fines for violating the law will only apply to the platforms, not to children and their parents.

"This will bring about huge changes. This is one of the largest social and cultural changes our country has faced," said the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The Prime Minister urged children to "start a new sport, learn a musical instrument, or finally read that book that has been waiting on your shelf for a long time."

What do human rights organizations say about this?

Amnesty International Australia called the ban "an ineffective quick fix." They believe it isolates children from the support they find online. Instead of making platforms safer (for example, regulating algorithms), the government simply cut children off from them.

The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) points to a violation of children's rights. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to access information and freedom of expression.

Additionally, human rights advocates are concerned about privacy issues. To filter out children, platforms will have to verify documents from all users, including adults.