Children could be banned from accessing social media. The Prime Minister is pledging to legislate a minimum age by the end of the year. The idea has in-principle support across the political aisle, but the opposition is criticising the government for announcing the policy before finalising how it will work. From Canberra, Political Reporter Matthew Doran has more.
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00:00For high school students like Zoe, Georgia and Laura, being on social media is second
00:07nature.
00:08In society nowadays there's a lot of FOMO, a lot of fear of missing out.
00:12But the pitfalls are also well known.
00:15I have a private account and I only really look at what my friends are putting out online.
00:19I know quite a few girls that I am friends with who have had very negative experiences
00:24with social media.
00:25It can be used as a weapon for bullies, a vehicle for scammers, worst of all a tool
00:31for online predators.
00:32The Albanese government wants an age limit enforced, restricting access to apps for Australian
00:37kids.
00:38We are seeking to be the best in the world.
00:43Although it's yet to lock in a specific age between 14 and 16 and exactly how it'll do
00:48it, trialling the technology needed.
00:50We believe the age limit should be 16 and that's why Peter Dutton announced that back
00:56in June.
00:57Over the weekend the South Australian government revealed its proposal to ban social media,
01:01kids under the age of 14 that target there.
01:04The Premier today welcoming a nationwide approach.
01:07By having a uniform rule across the country, every parent can look their children in the
01:11eye and say it's not them, this is the law.
01:14Getting kids away from social media when it's become so ingrained could prove difficult.
01:1850% are using it three or four social media platforms and 25% five or more.
01:24But the harm from some of the content shared online remains a powerful driver for change.
01:29There are many anecdotal examples of social media being a driver for somebody's distress
01:35getting to such a level that suicide, they contemplate suicide.
01:40There's still a lot of detail to be sorted through from the age limit and how it'll be
01:44enforced to which platforms will be regulated and whether the social media companies will
01:50even comply.
01:52The government is trying to regulate a wildly unregulated space and social media companies
01:58have voiced stiff opposition in the past when governments have tried to control their operations.
02:04And not all are convinced.
02:08Streaming channel 6 News, founded and staffed by teens, has found quite a following.
02:13If this ban was in place a couple of years ago, 6 News wouldn't have existed in the first place.
02:18Hopeful the government will strike a balance in an often unbalanced domain.