Australia to ban children from using social media

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to ban children from using social media.

He said in a statement on Tuesday the government would introduce legislation to enforce a minimum age for accessing social media and other relevant digital platforms.

The PM said: “We know social media causes social harm, and takes children away from real friends and real experiences.”

He said the legislation would be based on state and territory involvement, but he preferred setting a minimum age of 16.

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According to a poll conducted by state broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation in August, 61 per cent of Australians support restricting social media access for those under 17.

At the same time, Peter Malinauskas, the premier of South Australia, tasked former federal judge Robert French with exploring legal avenues to ban children under 14 from social media.

The prime minister said the federal government would take Robert French’s review into account when drafting the legislation.

Australia to ban children from social media first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.