Australia’s Social Media Ban Encounters Immediate Challenges and Criticism

Australia’s groundbreaking social media restrictions on users under 16 have officially started, unveiling some contentious issues from the inaugural day of the new law. Notably, some minors managed to sidestep age verification measures intended to prevent them from accessing their accounts.

This initiative has garnered backing from numerous parents who hope it will mitigate online harassment, promote outdoor activities, and lessen exposure to inappropriate material. However, critics argue that the ban may be ineffective or even counterproductive, as highlighted by a variety of satirical memes.

Andrew Hammond, associated with KJR, a consultancy in Canberra where he oversaw age verification initiatives for the Australian government, is keenly observing how the current situation evolves. He mentioned having spoken to several parents of children covered by the ban, none of whom had lost access to their accounts yet. “Some have reported they circumvented it or haven’t yet been prompted,” Hammond stated, though he anticipates more accounts will be disabled next week.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has initiated account removals about a week ago. A spokesperson affirmed, “As of today, we have disabled all accounts confirmed to be under 16.” They confirmed, “As the social media ban in Australia takes effect, we will preclude access to Instagram, Threads, and Facebook for teenagers known to be under this age and will restrict newcomers under 16 from setting up accounts.”

While Meta did not disclose the specific number of accounts terminated, a representative referred to earlier data indicating that approximately 150,000 users aged 13 to 15 are active on Facebook, and around 350,000 on Instagram in Australia. This implies that at least half a million accounts belonging to young Australians have been deleted on these two platforms alone.

The company stated its dedication to fulfilling its legal responsibilities, yet many concerns voiced by community organizations and parents have already manifested on the first day of the ban. These include risk of isolating vulnerable youth from supportive online communities, nudging them towards lesser-regulated apps and web areas, irregular age verification practices, and minimal concern for compliance among numerous teenagers and their parents, according to the spokesperson.

Mr. Hammond raised further questions, particularly regarding the status of minors under 16 who are vacationing or studying in Australia. The government has clarified that this regulation applies equally to visiting minors. While Australian accounts have been deleted, Mr. Hammond suspects that visitors’ accounts may simply be momentarily suspended. “It’s been merely a few hours since the ban was enacted, so there remains substantial uncertainty about its implementation,” he stated.

Australia and other nations are closely monitoring the repercussions as the law is fully enforced. “We will soon discover how attached minors under 16 are to social media and the actual situation that unfolds,” he said. He speculated that perhaps “they will venture outside to play sports.” Nonetheless, he warned, “if their lives are deeply intertwined with it, we may witness a plethora of attempts to evade these restrictions.”