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Australia will set the age at 16 at which minors will be able to access social networks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday, who pledged to crack down on technology firms that do not protect young users.
“This is (a measure) for moms and dads. Social media does a lot of harm to children and I decided to put an end to it” he told reporters.
Mr. Albanese announced future legislation in this direction in September, but it was not decided at the time whether it would apply from the age of 14 or 16.
Tech giants and social media platforms will have the responsibility to ensure users are of appropriate age, Albanese stressed, rather than parents who “worry over the safety of their children online.
“Responsibility will not fall on parents or young people. There will be no sanctions for users“, he clarified.
Previous proposals to introduce an age limit for social media have enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Australia.
Mr Albanese, a Labor Party, said the new laws would be presented to Australian state and territory leaders this week, before being submitted to Parliament at the end of November.