Australia Bans Social Media for Everyone Under the age of 16

Question

This article states that Australia passed a law to ban social media under the age of 16. Is this true?

Answer 1

This is true; the bill is called the Online Safety Amendment (or Social Media Minimum Age) Bill. The bill restricts children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts by imposing fines on social media companies that do not effectively block them from doing so. The Australian Prime Minister confirms this on the PM's website (https://www.pm.gov.au/media/social-media-reforms-protect-our-kids-online-pass-parliament) and assures Australians that the data collected to ensure the age requirement will be destroyed immediately after, and that citizens will not have to provide identification to social media websites. This ban would affect major social media companies such as meta with facebook and Instagram as well as tiktok and snap chat among others. social media sites intended for children's development like google classroom and youtube are exempt from these conditions. These conditions will not go into effect until a maximum of 12 months.

Comments

Very strong fact check when mentioning the name of the bill joined with a clear description to clarify its legitimacy. Nice work on adding the Prime Minister's website where it mentions data management. You also did great with explaining how this will affect larger social media companies and when the conditions will go into effect.

---

I think that this is a really good factcheck. I appreciate that you are directing citing the information from the Prime Minister's website. I also liked that you were able to talk more in depth about what this actually means for minors in Australia, what companies it will be affecting, and when this all will actually go into action. I appreciate all of the extra information about the bill that you included here in your factcheck. Your source of the PM's website was also a very smart idea, it has more validity than a secondary source talking about the statements.

---

I think this a very good fact check, you mentioned the actual name of the Bill that restricts kids  under the age of 16 from using social media. And you mentioned who enforces the new rules, and the actual consequences of not enforcing the bill. I also found many sources backing up your factcheck.

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/28/g-s1-36142/australia-social-media-ban-children

---

This fact check is very strong as you explained the specifics of the bill and researched it using a relevant and credible source directly related to Australian legislation, the Prime Minister’s media release. Your addition of the fact that educational social media such as Google Classroom will not be banned helped to reduce any misleading qualities of the claim. Your fact check was thorough and based on highly reliable sources. I’d be interested to see what your analysis of the original article is and its reliability, as it is a business outlet and Fox is also ranked as a questionable source with mixed factual reporting and a strong right-wing bias as determined by Media Bias Fact Check. While we still know the claim to be true, it is interesting to think about how its coverage may be altered by certain news outlets.

Fox News (foxnews.com) - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check

---

Great factcheck- i like how you even included quotes from the Prime Minister and went to their website. Do you agree with the ban in Australia?

---

I really liked your fact-check and the sources you included. I also like how you did not incorporate your own personal opinion when writing the fact check. However, I think it would have been better if you had used multiple sources from different political spectrums to get a fuller picture of this issue. As just one source could add slide biases to your fact check.

---

This is a very strong fact check with a lot of good information to backup the claim. Going to the PM's website to get information is a reliable and trustworlthy source. The fact check provided a fox news article and I appericate you looking elsewhere for your information. Im curious if you agree with australia's new law or not? It seems like it would raise some contraversy.

---

Good answer! You’re right about the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill —it does restrict social media use for kids under 16 by imposing fines on platforms that don’t enforce age limits. The government has assured that personal data used for verification will be deleted, which is a good step for privacy. It’s also reassuring that platforms like Google Classroom and YouTube are exempt. The law goes into effect within 12 months, so it’s something to watch for.

Answer 2

This headline is TRUE. After further research, many other press outlets have covered the topic such as The New York Times, AP News, and CNN. The bill passed and is to soon be put into effect. If social media businesses fail to hold accounts from being used by underage users, they can be heavily fined for failure to uphold the new rule. According to CNN, "Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 million Australian dollars ($32 million)." This has been put in place to protect the youth in Australia, which could become a trend we may see in other countries as well. 

Comments

I appreciate that you provided multiple well-known sources to reinforce the reliability. Good job on also providing a quote from the CNN article which helps to further explain the context surrounding the bill.

---

Your fact-check is well-researched and provides a clear summary of the new legislation.  The law will not come into effect immediately. Social media companies have a year to comply with the new regulations. This detail is important for understanding the timeline and potential impact. You mentioned that this could become a trend in other countries. It might be useful to compare this legislation with similar efforts or discussions in other countries to give readers a broader perspective. Overall, your fact-check is thorough and informative.

Answer 3

This is true, per AP news: https://apnews.com/article/social-media-ban-australia-kids-4dda8d92bd4b896ff502482b6736ab24. "Australia’s new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they’re not ready for, the nation’s move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep."

Comments

I appreciate how you provided a direct quote from a second source. Were there any other sources that backed up the claim and did you have any other comments about the claim?

---

Great use of the source you found, this quote provides a lot of insight concerning the ban. How do you think big tech companies will respond to this ban?

Answer 4

This information is true. Many other notable, and trustworthy news organizations have also reported this news helping their case (ex. Associated Press, CNN, ABC, and Forbes). Hannah Ritchie from BBC News, Sydney reported that “Australia will ban children under 16 from using social media, after its parliaments approved the world’s strictest laws” (Ritchie, BBC News). The Prime Minister of Australia is also quoted in the article commenting on the harm of social media on youth mental health. The Senate passed the bill with 34 votes to 19 for platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X according to the media release by the Prime Minister.  His statement included that the laws will go into place 12 months after they pass, so a year from now.

Answer 5

This claim is true. According to both BBC News and AP News, Australia's parliament just passed a bill that would restrict anyone under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. The bill does not specify which platforms fall under the ban, however, Minister Michelle Rowland says it will include Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram. The government claims that this bill will protect young children from the dangers of underage internet use. However, they are facing a lot of backlash from not only younger generations but all citizens. The other side argues that this bill infringes on young people's ability to participate in their communities and limits their participation in social justice issues. Australia's government is relying on age verification technology to execute this bill however it may take up to 12 months for these restrictions to be put into place. The government is also stating that children who work their way around these restrictions will not face punishment which is making many question the validity of the bill in the first place. 

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89vjj0lxx9o

https://apnews.com/article/social-media-ban-australia-kids-4dda8d92bd4b896ff502482b6736ab24

Answer 6

The headline is true upon further research, Reliable sources such as PBS, AP, and Reuters have all reported on the controversial ban, further stating that the law is forcing big tech companies to stop minors from logging in or they will face fines of up to $49 million. This ban was put in place mostly to protect the mental health of children and students. One of the only social media platforms that will be able to bypass the ban will be Youtube, as it is largely used as an educational tool for students in school. The ban will begin within the next year. 

Answer 7

This is correct! The Senate passed the bill on Thursday 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation by 102 votes to 13. According to NPR.org, Social media platforms have to work out how to enforce the ban before penalties are enforced. Apparently, according to MinterEllisionRuddWatts, The Bill's objective is not just to prevent exposure to harmful content but also to mitigate the negative effects of social media on sleep, stress levels, and attention. Through more digging, The prime minister also confirms this. “We’ve passed important legislation to keep our kids safe online. Social media is doing social harm to our kids. We’ve called time on it. We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs.” A direct quote from the prime minister. 

Sources: 

https://www.minterellison.co.nz/insights/australian-government-bans-social-media-for-those#:~:text=On%2027%20November%202024%2C%20Australia's,social%20media%20use%20in%20Australia.

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/28/g-s1-36142/australia-social-media-ban-children

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/social-media-reforms-protect-our-kids-online-pass-parliament