Australia Passes Bill Banning Kids from Social Media, LinkedIn Calls Platform ‘Too Dull’ for Youth

On Wednesday, November 27, the Australian House of Representatives passed a bill that bans children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. This groundbreaking legislation now awaits approval from the Senate to become law.

The bill holds social media companies such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram accountable, imposing fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately 33 million USD) if they fail to prevent young children from creating accounts. The bill, which passed with broad support from major political parties, was approved by a vote of 102 to 13. If the bill becomes law, social media platforms will have one year to develop plans for enforcing age restrictions before penalties are applied.

In Parliament, Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan explained that the government would include additional amendments in the Senate to strengthen privacy protections. Under the proposed law, platforms would not be allowed to require users to provide government-issued identification such as passports or driver’s licenses, nor could they ask for digital identification through a government system.

Tehan acknowledged that the legislation may not be perfect, but he stressed that even small improvements could significantly impact people’s lives. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland confirmed that the bill would be debated in the Senate later that day.

Critics, however, have raised concerns about the bill. They argue that lawmakers rushed the decision without sufficient scrutiny and warn that it could create privacy risks for users of all ages, while undermining parental authority in determining what is best for their children. Some opponents also suggest that banning children from social media could isolate them, depriving them of its positive aspects and pushing them toward less regulated areas of the internet, such as the dark web. Others believe that the bill could discourage children from reporting online harm.

Independent lawmaker Zoe Daniel expressed skepticism, stating that the legislation would not address the fundamental issues associated with social media. She suggested that the true intent of the bill was not to make social media safer but to give the impression that the government was taking action on the issue. She pointed out that no other country had attempted similar measures, questioning why Australia would take such a step.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn, the professional networking platform, responded to the proposed legislation by arguing that its platform is not appealing to children and therefore should not be included in the ban. The Microsoft-owned company claimed that LinkedIn’s content is not interesting or relevant to minors and asked lawmakers to reconsider its inclusion.