"This is a scourge" Australia wants a minimum age for using social media
The exact age limit that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants has not yet been determined. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The Prime Minister calls social media "a scourge". (symbolic image)
Image: dpa
The exact age limit that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants has not yet been determined. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The Prime Minister calls social media "a scourge". (symbolic image)
Image: dpa
Online social networks could be a scourge for young people, says Australia's Prime Minister. He therefore wants to crack down. Is that practicable?
10.09.2024, 20:04
dpa
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- The Australian government only wants to allow children and young people to access social media from a minimum age.
- The age limit could be between 14 and 16.
- A bill to this effect is to be introduced in parliament this year.
The Australian government wants to allow children and young people to access social media only from a certain minimum age in future. The age limit could be between 14 and 16, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, without committing himself.
A corresponding law is to be introduced in parliament this year. "This is a scourge," said the Labor politician, according to media reports on the effect of online networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Co. on children. Criticism comes from experts.
How is this supposed to work technically?
Australia's prime minister did not say how access is to be checked technically. The government is currently testing various ways of checking the age of users. This also involves getting the platforms to obtain permission from parents online, according to media reports.
The 61-year-old added that he wanted children to have a childhood. "We know that social media causes social harm and keeps children away from real friends and real experiences," Albanese added. "Parents want to see their children away from their phones and on the football pitch - so do I."
Support from the opposition
Support comes from the opposition, who want to set the limit at 16. "We need to give children the opportunity to grow up before they are exposed to this frankly horrific social media environment," said Liberal Party communications spokesman David Coleman.
The chair of the Australian Psychological Association, Carly Dober, criticized the planned ban because, in her view, it does not address the fundamental problem. "It's a stopgap solution to a very complicated and deep-rooted problem," she told the AAP news agency. "There is still hate speech and deeply misogynistic, racist and sexist content online." And children continue to be targeted with very sophisticated advertising aimed solely at persuading them to consume various products and services.
It also ignores the fact that online networks can also offer young people benefits, for example if they come from marginalized backgrounds. "LGBTQI, young refugees, young people with disabilities - they find a sense of community there when their experiences at school or in their community are not as welcoming." LGBTQI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex people.
Proposal raises questions about data protection
Even when the first calls were made for a minimum age for access to online networks, experts drew attention to another hurdle at the time. Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communications at Queensland University of Technology, warned on the ABC that there would be a serious problem with data protection if parents were now required by the platforms to disclose the age of their children with their permission. The platforms could also find ways to circumvent a ban.
Belinda Barnett, a lecturer at Swinburne University, expressed a similar view: "As a parent and as a social media researcher, I like the idea of an age restriction for children," she said. "But it's actually impossible to implement this without collecting information about Australian citizens that perhaps we shouldn't be giving to social media platforms."
Premier Albanese, on the other hand, emphasized that the safety and mental and physical health of young people must be a top priority. "Enough is enough," he said. Social media and digital platforms must live up to their social responsibility.
According to reports, a similar initiative in the state of South Australia, where access to social networks should only be permitted from the age of 14, serves as an example for the nationwide initiative. Parental permission would also be required for 14 and 15-year-olds.
Comparison with cigarettes and alcohol
Networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok would therefore have to take measures to prevent children from accessing them, said South Australia's head of government Peter Malinauskas according to media reports. As with cigarettes and alcohol, the government must intervene if a product could harm children.