TECH NEWS | Australia plans to impose social media age limit

Australia is planning to impose a minimum age limit for social media use, aiming to protect children’s mental and physical health. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the initiative, likely setting the age limit between 14 and 16, following concerns raised during a parliamentary inquiry into social media’s impact on society, particularly its negative effects on teenagers’ mental health.

However, digital rights advocates and experts caution that such restrictions could push youth to riskier, less regulated platforms and limit their access to important online support. Critics also question how effectively the age limit can be enforced, raising privacy concerns over identity verification. Despite the intention to reduce social harm, many argue that making online spaces safer would be a more effective approach than banning youth from social media altogether.

“Where there’s a will there’s a way, and while it is possible to limit access to inappropriate content, it’s impossible to completely eradicate it for the most motivated of users, young or old,” said Adam Brown, managing Consultant, Synopsys Software Integrity Group. “Limitations could be better enforced and made default for children by the providers, where an explicit opt out is required and reviewed periodically. The app providers themselves realize that access by children is not right which is evident through their own self-governance, even if it’s not properly enforced. Providers and governments could better help parents and guardians to enforce some governance of essentially, highly addictive content,”

“As a parent, I know how motivated a minor can be when it comes to gaining access to social media and can say how standard controls on devices are not effective enough for parents who want to govern access to social media,” Brown added. “These apps are designed to attract attention and combined with the super ease of use, convenience, and ubiquity of mobile devices, kids far too easily fall into bad habits with social media, spending in some cases most of their free time glued to these tiny screens.”

Recently, Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook, Threads and Instagram, announced the introduction of Instagram Teen Accounts to automatically place teens in built-in protections and reassure parents that teens are having safe experiences – offering another solution away from an out-and-out ban. Teen Accounts will limit who can contact teens and the content they see, and help ensure their time is well spent.

The digital footprints left by online activities – such as posts, comments or even clicks – create an information trail that is vulnerable to exploitation by malicious actors. Data accumulated from a young age can form detailed, evolving profiles that – if not adequately protected – can be exploited for future cyber attacks, identity theft and even physical harm.

“Regardless of whether the social media ban is implemented or not, parents should prioritize protecting their children’s privacy and security online, by actively minimizing their digital footprint,” said Darren Guccione, Keeper Security chief executive and oc-founder. “Australia’s proposed legislation to ban children from social media is aimed at reducing risks to physical and mental health, but would also have cybersecurity implications.

Regardless of whether the social media ban is implemented or not, parents should prioritize protecting their children’s privacy and security online, by actively minimizing their digital footprint.

This includes deleting or deactivating any unused accounts, restricting data access for apps and services your children use, turning off geolocation and ensuring that accounts are set to private so access is restricted to only the people you know.

“Parents and children must prioritize implementing these robust cybersecurity measures to protect early data and manage digital footprints effectively.” Guccione said.

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